EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. — One of two suspects wanted for allegedly ramming a vehicle into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents near Colorado Springs Thursday afternoon has been arrested, a spokesperson with the federal agency said Friday.
Francisco Zapata-Pacheco was arrested “at approximately 2 p.m.” Thursday, an ICE spokesperson said in a news release. ICE officials said the Zapata-Pacheco was the passenger in the vehicle that was “used to attack officers” and is cooperating with law enforcement.
The suspect will remain in ICE custody pending immigration and criminal proceedings, the spokesperson said.
The second suspect, identified as Jose Mendez-Chavez, remains at-large. Mendez-Chavez, a Mexican national, is a convicted child abuser who also has convictions for domestic violence and for entering the country illegally at least six times, the ICE spokesperson said.
In announcing the arrest, ICE officials lambasted the Colorado Rapid Response Network (CORRN), calling the group “despicable” for reportedly showing up in defense of a suspect “who has abused children and attempted to injure our officers.”
A law enforcement source told Denver7 Thursday that ICE was conducting a targeted operation at a construction site in Black Forest, north of Colorado Springs, when the incident occurred. No one was injured, according to ICE officials.
“Mendez was not an ‘innocent victim’ he is an abuser who plays the system and is now wanted for assault on a federal office,” the ICE spokesperson said Friday.
The arrest comes nearly 24 hours after ICE told Denver7 in a Thursday email they were looking for two suspects – even though they had already made an arrest.
Denver7 is asking ICE about the discrepancy between these two statements.
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