A man connected to the attempted kidnapping of a juvenile at the Boy’s Store in Slapout pleaded guilty to illegal reentry in federal court in April.
According to 19th Judicial Circuit District Attorney C.J. Robinson, Yordy Noe Centeno-Melchor, 31, was arrested in January for attempting to kidnap a 17-year-old female.
“The 17-year-old was in the parking lot when Centeno-Melchor, who had been using methamphetamine, approached the girl and asked her to look at his cell phone,” Robinson said. “He then offered her money and told her to get into his vehicle. Centeno-Melchor fled the scene when a bystander noticed something was off and walked over to inquire about the situation.”
Centeno-Melchor was quickly apprehended by coordination between the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office and the Chilton County Sheriff’s Office. Ceteno-Melchor was being held in the Elmore County Jail with a $100,000 cash bond available to him.
According to Robinson, Centeno-Melchor was living in the United States illegally and the investigation uncovered he had previously been deported or denied entry into the U.S. six times by Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE). The U.S. Attorney’s Office got an indictment against Centeno-Melchor for illegal entry in February. Illegal entry is an immigrant entering or attempting to enter the country without proper permission after previously being denied admission into the country, deported or removed from the U.S.
According to Robinson, moving Centeno-Melchor’s prosecution to federal court was discussed with the victim’s family and the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office. It’s an effort to insulate the victim from years of judicial proceedings.
Robinson said the conviction in federal court will have Centeno-Melchor deported.
“We are not dismissing any charges against Centeno-Melchor,” Robinson said. “If he ever returns to the U.S., he can and will be extradited back to Elmore County for prosecution on the charges involving this 17-year-old victim. I have confidence in the current administration, and the policies being established in Washington, D.C., that this predator will finally be removed from our country for good.”
