Tag: federal charges

Illegal Alien from El Salvador Charged with Assault on a Federal Officer with a Deadly Weapon

A 36-year-old national of El Salvador residing in Stanislaus County has been charged with assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon after allegedly using his vehicle to strike an agent and ram a law enforcement vehicle during an arrest operation in Patterson, California, on April 7, 2026.

• Federal criminal complaint unsealed charging 36-year-old Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez with assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon.

• Incident occurred April 7, 2026, during an operation in Patterson, California, to arrest him for being illegally present in the United States.

• Mendoza Hernandez allegedly struck an agent with his vehicle, rammed a law enforcement vehicle in reverse, then accelerated toward two agents, forcing one to jump out of the way.

• Agents discharged firearms, striking Mendoza Hernandez multiple times; he received medical aid and was later taken into FBI custody.

• If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Patterson, California — A federal criminal complaint was unsealed charging Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, 36, a national of El Salvador residing in Stanislaus County, with assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon.

According to court documents, on April 7, 2026, at approximately 6:50 a.m., four federal law enforcement officers conducted an operation in the city of Patterson to locate and arrest Mendoza Hernandez because he is illegally present in the United States. Officers stopped him near an onramp to Interstate 5 by activating their emergency lights, and he pulled over on the right shoulder.

During the stop, Mendoza Hernandez identified himself. An agent informed him that he was being detained and instructed him to step out of the vehicle. Despite repeated requests, he kept his car running and did not comply. He eventually drove forward and hit an agent with his vehicle. He then quickly shifted into reverse and abruptly accelerated backward, violently colliding with the front of a law enforcement vehicle parked behind him.

After striking the agents’ vehicle, Mendoza Hernandez’s car faced two of the agents assisting in the stop. After a brief pause, he accelerated forward toward them. One agent, in the direct path of the vehicle, jumped out of the way to avoid being hit. Mendoza Hernandez jumped the center median and drove the wrong way against traffic toward the freeway, then crossed the median and stopped his car on the side of the road.

During the incident, in response to the vehicle’s movements, agents discharged their firearms at the vehicle. Mendoza Hernandez was hit several times. Agents rendered medical aid at the scene, and he was transported to the hospital. After receiving medical treatment, he was medically cleared and taken into FBI custody on Monday, April 13, 2026.

United States Attorney Eric Grant announced the unsealing of the complaint. Assistant United States Attorney Jason Hitt is prosecuting the case. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department and the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office.

The defendant’s custody status will be determined during his initial appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge. If convicted, Mendoza Hernandez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines. The charge is only an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case highlights the risks faced by federal officers during enforcement operations involving individuals illegally present in the country.

Tennessee Man Accused of Luring Colerain Teen to Florida for Criminal Sexual Activity

A Tennessee man faces federal charges after authorities say he lured a missing 16-year-old from Colerain Township to Florida with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Stephen Negron, 42, was tracked to a Florida hotel where the teen was recovered.

• Stephen Negron, 42, of Rogersville, Tennessee, federally charged with transporting a 16-year-old Colerain Township girl with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

• Teen Madison Fields reported missing February 16 after telling her mother she was staying with a friend.

• Investigators tracked her to a Florida hotel with Negron using cell records, security footage, and license plate readers.

• Negron allegedly picked up the teen near her home in a silver Chevrolet truck and took her to Tennessee before traveling to Florida.

• If convicted, Negron faces 10 years to life in prison.

• U.S. Attorney praises multi-agency effort to recover the teen and prosecute those who prey on children.

CINCINNATI, Ohio — A second suspect has been federally charged in the ongoing investigation of a previously missing Colerain Township teenager who was found in Florida.

Stephen Negron, 42, of Rogersville, Tennessee, is accused of transporting 16-year-old Madison Fields with the intent of engaging in criminal sexual activity, according to U.S. Attorney of the Southern District of Ohio Dominick Gerace II.

Fields was reported missing Feb. 16 after her parents had not seen or heard from her in three days. She had told her mom she was staying the weekend at a local friend’s house, a place she has stayed before. However, the parent of the friend told police the last time she saw Madison was Feb. 13.

Through cell phone records, security footage, license plate readers and a previous protection order out of Texas, investigators were able to track down the missing girl at a Florida hotel, allegedly with Negron.

If convicted, Negron could face 10 years to life in prison.

“I want to commend the excellent work of the federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation, recovery, and prosecution,” said Gerace. “My office is proud to partner with these outstanding public servants to ensure that our children remain safe from those who seek to prey upon them.”

The investigation revealed that Madison’s father believed his daughter may have been meeting a male named Josh. A friend received a text from an unknown number claiming to be the victim saying “Tell (redacted) I’m ok,” but a follow-up response stated “She will get rape, and is being rape.”

Cell phone data showed her device powered off at 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 13 near Cheviot and West Galbraith roads in Cincinnati. Footage from a Thorntons gas station captured a silver Chevrolet truck with Tennessee plates at the same time and location. The truck reportedly made a roundtrip from Tennessee to Cincinnati.

An individual told police that Madison had met a person online called “Dad Bod,” believed to be around 40 years old, and had previously stayed with him at a hotel. She was thought to be with that man after her disappearance.

Surveillance at Negron’s Rogersville home and discovery of a 2024 protection order from Texas involving another teen further linked him to the case. During a search of his home, authorities found a similar backpack to the one Madison had when she went missing, teenage girl’s clothes, and items connected to a phone number assigned to Negron.

That phone number later pinged to the Quality Inn & Suites at Palatka Riverfront Hotel in Palatka, Florida. Negron was located there with the minor in room 142 and arrested.

The teen told officials she met Negron on Tumblr. He reportedly told her he could give her a better life, provide necessities and clothes, and that it was okay she was 16. He allegedly picked her up down the street from her residence in a grey Silverado, had her delete things from her phone, and destroyed it. Once at his home in Tennessee, the situation reportedly differed from what she expected, with Negron stating he would have taken her even if she were younger than 16.

Negron was arrested on charges out of the Eastern District of Tennessee and will be transferred to the Southern District of Ohio to face charges involving the Colerain teen.

Authorities continue to emphasize the importance of collaborative law enforcement efforts in protecting minors from online predators and ensuring swift recovery and accountability in cases like this.