Social media erupted Wednesday and Thursday after an illegal immigrant was arrested in Washington, D.C., on child sex crime charges, in a video that quickly went viral.
Mexican national David Perez-Teofani exited his vehicle when officers approached, then attempted to flee, resulting in him being tackled, according to a video shared by an NBC Washington reporter. In the footage, he can be heard yelling in Spanish while restrained on the ground.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin provided details, saying the individual allegedly entered the country illegally three times, had a final order of removal, and was previously arrested in Fairfax County in January.
“Yes, this illegal alien from Mexico was previously arrested in January 2024 in Fairfax County for aggravated sexual assault of a child under 13. Glad he is off of Washington DC’s streets thanks to [President] Trump, [Noem] and [ICE],” she posted to X.
The video circulated widely, drawing a spectrum of reactions.
“Turns out he IS a criminal…,” actor Dean Cain, who recently announced he’s joining ICE, commented on X.
“Are we supposed to be offended by this? He entered the country illegally three times. When he tried to flee, he was subdued with reasonable force. Seems like textbook law enforcement,” lawyer Matt Martens wrote.
“Every time,” lawyer Payton Alexander commented alongside an image of the charges.
“He’s an illegal alien from Mexico who was previously arrested in January 2024 in Fairfax County for aggravated sexual assault of a child under 13. So yes, this is what I voted for,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem highlighted the ongoing enforcement efforts, emphasizing the administration’s focus on public safety.
Conversely, some viewers expressed concern over the video, sometimes before all the details were clear.
“Also curious on what grounds they approached him in the first place,” one user asked.
“Fascism is here, folks. We have arrived. This is no longer a cautionary tale or a fate we can avoid. We are a fascist state,” wrote “On Democracy” podcast host Fred Wellman.
“I do wonder how the images of people screaming and crying out that they just want to work and take care of their families, while being tackled and dragged away by masked men comport with anybody’s vision of a safer city. Unusual times,” another user said.
Since the federal takeover of immigration enforcement earlier this month, many arrests in the nation’s capital have been related to immigration violations.
“We’ve now made a total of 630 arrests and seized 86 illegal guns in DC. 53 arrests were made yesterday, plus 24 ICE arrests and 10 guns taken off the streets. Our incredible [U.S. Marshals Service] even helped recover a missing child. Our mission to make DC safe again isn’t slowing down,” Attorney General Pam Bondi tweeted Thursday.
