“Undocumented Asylum-Seeker” Charged in Endwell Burglary

A man arrested for breaking into a town of Union residence apparently is in the United States illegally.

Broome County sheriff's deputies were sent to an Endwell apartment complex around 8:15 p.m. Friday to investigate reports of suspicious activity in and around a building.

The incident happened at the JFK Apartments near Highland Park. Investigators said a man broke into a second-floor apartment through a bedroom window.

The noise in the building on JFK Boulevard alerted a neighbor who called 911.

According to the sheriff's office, deputies with assistance from state troopers located a suspect in the apartment complex and took him into custody without incident.

31-year-old Miguel Martinez was charged with second-degree burglary, a felony, for allegedly illegally entering a dwelling. He was remained and ordered held at Broome County Jail. His country of origin was listed as Mexico.

United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement was notified of the arrest. A transfer of custody will be arranged between local and federal agencies.

According to the sheriff's office, Martinez was believed to be "the first undocumented individual charged for a crime in the past several months" in Broome County.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.