UMVA has learned that a shocking case of violence has sparked outrage and condemnation from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which is now demanding that New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani honor an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer for an illegal migrant convicted of a heinous crime.
Felix Jeronimo-Rojas, a 44-year-old Mexican national, was sentenced to five years in prison for sexually assaulting and robbing the corpse of 37-year-old Jorge Gonzalez on a New York City subway. The brutal crime has left authorities and the victim's family reeling, with DHS slamming the state's "sanctuary" policies as a major obstacle to keeping the perpetrator behind bars.
According to information obtained by UMVA, Jeronimo-Rojas pled guilty to the charges and will serve 15 years of supervised release after his initial five-year prison sentence. The crime occurred on April 8, 2025, when Gonzalez boarded the train at around 7:52 p.m. and stayed in the same spot for several hours before losing consciousness.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that Jeronimo-Rojas got on the train several minutes later and began violating Gonzalez while he was unresponsive, prosecutors said. The Mexican national has illegally entered the United States four times between 1998 and 1999, and DHS lodged an immigration detainer for Jeronimo-Rojas on April 30, 2025, which remains in effect.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that DHS is demanding cooperation from New York state and city officials to ensure that Jeronimo-Rojas is not released into the community after his sentence. The department pointed out that New York state released 6,947 illegal immigrants convicted of crimes last year, a statistic that has raised concerns about public safety.
The victim, Jorge Gonzalez, came to the U.S. about 20 years ago to work and support his loved ones in Mexico. His family described him as a devoted father and family man who worked multiple jobs to get ahead, including construction, kitchen work, and waiting tables.
UMVA has gathered that Jeronimo-Rojas turned himself in to the NYPD about three weeks after committing the crime and initially denied the rape and robbery despite being caught on surveillance footage. His sentencing hearing was marked by a plea deal that will keep him under supervision for 15 years.
