Four ICE Detainees Charged After Escape from Newark's Delaney Hall Detention Facility

Three apprehended, one remains at large following June 12 breakout involving improvised tools and coordinated effort

Four individuals detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Delaney Hall in Newark have been charged with escaping federal custody, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Alina Habba. The charges stem from a coordinated escape that occurred on or around June 12, 2025, involving a breach of the facility's second-story wall and other improvised methods to evade security.

The accused include Franklin Norberto Bautista Reyes, 20, and Joel Enrrique Sandoval-Lopez, 22, both of Honduras, and Joan Sebastian Castaneda Lozada, 18, and Andres Felipe Pineda Mogollon, 25, both of Colombia. Each has been charged individually with escape from custody, a federal offense carrying a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.

Court documents reveal the detainees escaped by breaking through an aluminum wall on the second floor of the facility. They reportedly used mattresses to soften their landing and bed sheets to scale a barbed wire fence. The facility, Delaney Hall, is privately operated and serves as a detention center for ICE detainees awaiting immigration removal proceedings.

Three of the four individuals—Castaneda Lozada, Sandoval-Lopez, and Bautista Reyes—have been apprehended and made initial court appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark. The fourth, Pineda Mogollon, remains at large as of this report.

The escape is under investigation by a coalition of federal agencies, including the FBI, ICE, and Homeland Security Investigations. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Hardin of the Public Protection Task Force.

Authorities emphasized that the charges are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.