HARFORD COUNTY, Md. (WBFF) — An undocumented immigrant accused of sexually abusing an underage girl is being held without bond in Harford County, a case Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler says underscores the importance of cooperation between local and federal law enforcement agencies.
According to charging documents, 32-year-old Yerlis Alvarez-Alvarez is accused of sexually abusing a middle school-aged girl over the course of several years. Investigators allege he exchanged gifts, including stuffed animals, for sexual acts.
Alvarez-Alvarez was arrested in Bel Air following what authorities described as a yearlong investigation involving the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Gahler said those partnerships were instrumental in locating the suspect and identifying a final order of deportation for the El Salvadoran national.
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The arrest comes as Maryland’s newly enacted Community Trust Act continues to generate debate among law enforcement officials and state lawmakers. The law limits when local law enforcement agencies can cooperate with federal immigration authorities, including restrictions on sharing certain information and holding individuals beyond their scheduled release dates for immigration purposes.
Gahler acknowledged the law did not affect the investigation or arrest of Alvarez-Alvarez, noting that exceptions exist for criminal investigations. However, he argued the legislation could create complications later in the judicial process.
“If he was convicted of something lesser, even a plea deal or something, then I imagine that the Community Trust Act would prevent us from communicating when his sentence was done,” Gahler said.
He added that because Alvarez-Alvarez already has a final order of deportation, he believes law enforcement should be able to notify federal authorities when his case concludes, no matter the outcome.
“He has no business being released back into our community. He has a removal order already on file, and that under any circumstances should be communicated with a federal partner. We shouldn’t have to check a book to see if there’s certain benchmark met,” Gahler said.
Several Maryland sheriffs have filed a lawsuit challenging the Community Trust Act and seeking to overturn the law. The case remains pending.
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