Police: Saratoga Springs assault suspect is an illegal immigrant
Published: Tuesday, April 13, 2010

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Aldofo Merino-Lopez, of 43 Ash St., was quickly located Saturday morning near the scene of the attack and arrested. He is currently in Saratoga County Jail and charged with second-degree assault and first-degree unlawful imprisonment, both felonies; and forcible touching, a misdemeanor.

He was treated at Saratoga Hospital for injuries to his hands and face that were inflicted by the victim as she escaped.

Merino-Lopez was arraigned by Judge Douglas Mills on Saturday and his bail was set at $75,000 cash or $150,000 bond, neither of which he had posted as of Monday evening.

Catone said Monday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have confirmed that he is in the country illegally. He did not release any more information about the alleged attacker except to say that he does not work at Saratoga Race Course.
http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2010 ... 422451.txt
Intial story:
[quote]Saratoga Springs man in police custody after Saturday morning assault
Published: Sunday, April 11, 2010

By MAREESA NICOSIA, The Saratogian




SARATOGA SPRINGS — City police have charged a 37-year-old Saratoga Springs man with felony assault following an attack reported early Saturday morning.

The victim, a 22-year-old woman, told police she was walking alone on Circular Street just north of the intersection with Lake Avenue at about 4 a.m. when a man approached her from behind and grabbed her by her hair, then grabbed her genital area and began forcibly kissing her. She fought off her attacker and fled to the Lake Avenue Fire Station, where she called police from the emergency phone located outside the building.

The woman provided police with a description of the man and his direction of travel, and responding officers quickly located Aldofo Merino-Lopez, 37, of 43 Ash St., a short distance from the scene. He was charged with second-degree assault and unlawful imprisonment, both felonies; and forcible touching, a misdemeanor.

Police said dispatchers received a separate call at about the same time, in which the caller reported hearing a woman screaming for help in the area of Lake Avenue and Circular Street.

Saratoga Springs Police Chief Christopher Cole said the woman was walking home and was talking on her cell phone when the attack occurred. Merino-Lopez had apparently followed her from the downtown area and may have been drinking, but police are not yet ready to confirm that, he said.

The woman and Merino-Lopez did not know each other, Cole added.

No weapon was threatened or displayed in the incident.

The woman was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at Saratoga Hospital and released.

Merino-Lopez is currently being held in the city jail, where police are working with interpreters to communicate with him. Cole said police are investigating Merino-Lopez’s residency status and are attempting to locate any witnesses who may have seen him downtown.

This is the latest of several late-night assaults that have been reported within the city limits in recent months.

In July, a 24-year-old woman escaped from a moving van after being abducted at gunpoint by a man who forced her to strip and said he planned to rape and kill her. The woman was walking on Walnut Street and talking on her cell phone at night when the incident occurred.

Several days later, police arrested Victor Vladimir Hernandez-Perez on felony kidnapping and robbery charges. Hernandez-Perez, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who was living in Corinth, could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted when the case is brought before a grand jury. Investigators have attempted to link him to a violent gang.

In October, a female student at Skidmore College reported an attempted assault by the cab driver who was transporting her back to campus late at night. No charges have been made in that incident.

Cole said he highly recommends that people not walk alone at night if they have the option to walk with a friend, no matter what their age is.

“Saratoga Springs is a very safe city and we stand by that, but unfortunately, this is a city and we encourage everybody to be aware of their surroundings,â€