Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz has changed his mind about housing migrants after a second alleged sexual assault involving an asylum-seeker at a Buffalo hotel.
A county executive “is the County’s chief elected official and the county government’s administrative head.”
Poloncarz on May 23 (emphasis mine): “In fact, due to the exemplary work of the Refugee Partnership, currently there are hundreds of refugees and asylum-seekers in Erie County from countries as diverse as Afghanistan, Congo, Ecuador, Somalia, Ukraine, Venezuela and more. These people are not a threat to our community and are only looking for the opportunity to pursue their dream of living in a free, democratic society. Our country is a light to the world and they have followed that light here to Erie County and beyond.”
Almost three months later…
In a press release, Poloncarz said he spoke to Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams about the two alleged rapes in one week.
Poloncarz demanded that Adams stop sending migrants to the area “until such times as we can resolve all security issues.” Adams agreed.
Hochul agreed to station National Guard members at each hotel housing migrants.
Poloncarz also sided with Chief Gould “in calling for the closure of the Dingens Street facility and for full reimbursement by New York City to the town of Cheektowaga for all costs associated with securing these hotels.”
The Dingens Street facility is a Best Western where the second alleged rape took place.
Yes, you read that correctly. Poloncarz wants NYC to reimburse the town for security.
Poloncarz also had to admit the obvious. Immigration is a federal issue:
Finally, Erie County, the town of Cheektowaga and the state cannot solve what is essentially a federal issue. The Biden Administration and the United States Congress must act on this and truly implement comprehensive immigration reform.
Jesus Guzman-Bermudez, 26, of Venezuela, allegedly raped a woman on August 2nd in a hotel in Cheektowaga. The prosecutors claim the rape took place in from of a 3-year-old.
The Cheektowaga Town Court arraigned Guzman-Bermudez on numerous counts:
From Spectrum News:
During a press conference early Saturday, officials said an asylum seeker from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was arrested Friday and is being charged with sex abuse and unlawful imprisonment after allegedly sexually assaulting an employee inside a Cheektowaga hotel.”The victim is a 27-year-old female from Buffalo who was working at the hotel as employed by Platinum Community Care, one of the agencies providing services to the asylum seekers,” Cheektowaga Police Department Chief Brian Gould said.
The man accused of the rape is Kindu Jeancy.
DocGo, the company NYC hired to help transport migrants, might have interfered with the investigation:
Poloncarz said that DocGo, the company hired by New York City to oversee the transport of asylum-seekers to upstate locations, “may have interfered in the Cheektowaga police’s investigation” of the sex crime reported on Friday.While not mentioning DocGo by name, Gould also alluded to potential interference in the police investigation.“I’m asking that those working for the companies that are for providing services to understand that all crimes need to be immediately reported to the police, and that any suspects are not questioned, interviewed or guided in any way prior to our police investigations,” Gould said.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY