Authorities in Aurora, Colorado, are allegedly declining to help U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) locate two illegal immigrants who escaped from the Denver Contract Detention Facility on Tuesday, the agency said.
Illegal immigrants Joel Jose Gonzalez-Gonzalez, 32, and Geilond Vido-Romero, 24, escaped from the facility at some point on Tuesday after they were accounted for during a 2 p.m. facility-wide count.
The Aurora Police Department shared a document with Fox News Digital that said staff at the facility became aware of the escapees at approximately 12:35 a.m. on Wednesday. It also said that an Aurora police officer responded to an “outside agency assist” at 5:13 a.m. on Wednesday.
Aurora Police Public Information Officer Joe Moylan said the department did not receive a report about the escaped detainees until approximately 2:30 a.m., two hours after the men were confirmed missing and five hours after the facility’s power went out.
The document showed that Assistant Facility Director Mohamed Bennani told Aurora police that the power at the detention center went out at around 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday and the back doors of the facility opened up to the soccer field.
Bennani believes that is when both inmates escaped through the back door. The facility staff started an emergency count around midnight and realized both men were missing.
As of late Wednesday, the power is still out at the facility, but authorities said they should be able to review camera footage once it is restored.
ICE said when agents contacted local authorities, they declined to assist in the search for the two escapees, who were still on the run as of early Thursday morning. They also said they informed state and federal law enforcement partners of the search.
“Two detainees escaped March 18 from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Denver Contract Detention Facility, in Aurora, Colorado. Local authorities were notified immediately and declined to assist with the search. ICE also notified additional state and federal law enforcement partners. The aliens are still at large and the search is ongoing,” an ICE spokesperson said in a statement.
Moylan told Fox News Digital that Aurora police will “assist with the apprehension” if the men are confirmed to be in Aurora.
“This was a cold event from the time we were notified about it,” Moylan said in a statement. “We are working with our federal partners to determine if the escapees have any connection to the city of Aurora. When the time comes that warrants are active and information is confirmed that these men are in Aurora, we will assist with the apprehension.”
The Adams County Sheriff’s Office has said “no one received a request to assist ICE in any capacity, especially to help locate two escaped detainees,” according to FOX 31 Denver. Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office also said it was not called.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation told FOX 31 it was not assisting ICE with its search for the escapees because it was not contacted by the federal agents.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated as information becomes available.
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