Maria Eusebia Fuertes (August 14, 1927 – January 6, 2020) was a 92-year-old immigrant from the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...

living in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

when she was raped and killed. A Guyanese

illegal immigrant Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of that country's immigration laws, or the continuous residence in a country without the legal right to do so. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upward, wi ...

has been charged with her murder.

Political impact

The case is part of what the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

describes as "an escalating conflict between the Trump administration and the nation’s largest city over its so-called sanctuary policies."

Victim

Fuertes, elderly and impoverished, kept 10 cats and made a living by collecting discarded cans and bottles, returning them for the recycling fee. She was in the United States as a legal immigrant. Fuertez granddaughter, Daria Ortiz, blames New York's sanctuary city policy for her grandmother's death. Fuertez son, Louis, stated that he agreed with sanctuary city policies but was critical of the police for allowing "criminals" to walk the streets.

Events

On November 27, 2019, Reeaz Khan, 21, an illegal immigrant from Guyana, was accused of attacking his father with a broken ceramic mug; Kahn's 41-year-old father was hospitalized for injuries he received. Khan was charged with harassment, criminal possession of a weapon, and misdemeanor assault. The

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE; ) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security. ICE's stated mission is to protect the Un ...

claims to have lodged a detainer request for Kahn with the

New York City Police Department The City of New York Police Department, also referred to as New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, munic ...

on November 27, 2019, but declined to release its content or evidence of sending it that day. In a statement, the NYPD said it did not receive an ICE detainer. On November 27, 2019, Khan was released without bail. On January 6, 2020, Khan allegedly raped and strangled Maria Fuertes. She was discovered lying on a sidewalk in

Richmond Hill, Queens Richmond Hill is a commercial and residential neighborhood located in the southeastern section of the New York City borough of Queens. The area borders Kew Gardens and Forest Park to the north, Jamaica and South Jamaica to the east, South Ozo ...

in freezing weather. She was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where she died. Her injuries included a broken spine and fractured ribs. On January 10, 2020, Khan was charged with murder. On January 17, 2020, Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Matthew Albence asserted that New York's

sanctuary city A sanctuary city is a municipality that limits or denies its cooperation with the national government in enforcing immigration law. Proponents of sanctuary cities cite motives such as reducing the fear of persons which illegally immigrated fr ...

policy was responsible for the killing of Maria Fuertes. On February 4, 2020, in his

State of the Union address The State of the Union Address (sometimes abbreviated to SOTU) is an annual message delivered by the president of the United States to a joint session of the United States Congress near the beginning of most calendar years on the current condit ...

, President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

said that "Just 29 days ago, a criminal alien freed by the sanctuary city of New York was charged with the brutal rape and murder of a 92-year-old woman. The killer had been previously arrested for assault, but under New York’s sanctuary policies, he was set free. If the city had honored ICE’s detainer request, his victim would be alive today.” On June 20, 2023, Khan pleaded guilty to killing Fuertes. On July 6, 2023, Khan was sentenced to 22 years to life for the murder charge and eight years in prison for the attempted rape charge, with the sentences running concurrently.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fuertes, Maria January 2020 crimes in the United States January 2020 in the United States 2020 in New York City Deaths by person in New York City Deaths by strangulation in the United States Illegal immigration to the United States 2020s crimes in New York City