On June 16, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office announced the indictment of Salvadoran national Antonio Melendez Reyes, 59, “for Rape in the First Degree and other related charges, for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old child in an alley as she walked home”. If you want to understand why the Laken Riley Act doubles down on a requirement in section 241(a)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality (INA) that all aliens under final removal orders be detained for deportation, look no further.
The alleged attack in Huntington, NY
Before continuing, note that until and unless Melendez Reyes is convicted, the allegations against him are just that, allegations, and under our Anglo-American traditions of due process, he is entitled to a presumption of innocence. That said, if the charges are true, this is a uniquely disturbing crime.
The Suffolk County DA’s press release in the matter explains that “according to” its investigation:
on June 6, 2026, Melendez Reyes allegedly approached a 16-year-old girl as she was walking home on New York Avenue in Huntington. Melendez Reyes allegedly repeatedly asked the child for her phone number, which she refused to give him. Melendez Reyes then allegedly forced the child down an alley where he sexually assaulted her.
During the assault, the child was able to escape while partially unclothed, climbed a tall fence, and called 911. While she was on the phone with police dispatch, Melendez Reyes allegedly continued to search for the victim. When police arrived, they located Melendez Reyes and placed him under arrest.
Among the offenses he is charged with are two counts of rape in the first degree (a class B violent felony under section 130.35 of the N.Y. Penal Code), sexual abuse in the first degree (a class D felony under section 130.65 of the N.Y. Penal Code), and two counts of rape in the third degree (a class E felony under section 130.25 of the N.Y. Penal Code).
The first-degree rape charge alone carries a potential punishment of 25 years’ imprisonment.
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