ICE lodges detainer on man jailed for Catskill burglary

CATSKILL―An immigration detainer has been lodged by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) against the release of the man charged in connection with last week’s incident that sent the Catskill Elementary School into lockout mode.

An ICE spokesperson said Wednesday that Mario Jesus Tubon Quimatoa, 41, of Catskill is “a criminal illegal alien” from Ecuador. He allegedly entered the United States sometime between January 2021 and January 2025, according to ICE.

Quimatoa has been in the Greene County Jail since June 4 after being charged by State Police with second-degree burglary: sexually motivated, a class C felony, and forcible touching, a misdemeanor.

Around 1:30 p.m. on June 3, Greene County 911 received a call reporting that a male subject had attempted to make entry into one of the units at 775 Embought Road with the alleged intent to rape a woman.

The complex, known as Autumn Grove Apartments, serves seniors and those with disabilities and is located directly across the street from the elementary school.

“Upon arrival, officers determined that the individual had left the location prior to their arrival,” the Catskill Police Department reported.

While police searched the area, the Catskill Elementary School was placed in lockout status as a precaution and additional safety measures were taken during dismissal of the middle and high schools. There was no threat to the school or to the public, according to both State Police and the Catskill Police Department.

Quimatoa was identified as the suspect that same day but initial attempts to contact him were unsuccessful, according to Catskill Police.

Additional details of the alleged offense were not provided and Greene County District Attorney Joseph Stanzione did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the detainer.

Quimatoa’s bail was set during arraignment in Catskill Town Court at $75,000 cash, $100,000 bond or $200,000 partially secured bond.

According to ICE, Quimatoa has a prior arrest in Catskill for assault. Additional details on that charge were not immediately available.

An immigration detainer is a request from ICE that asks a law enforcement agency to voluntarily notify them as soon as possible before they release a specific individual from jail or prison.

It also requests that the individual is held for up to 48 hours beyond the time they would ordinarily be released to give ICE time to pick them up―but in New York State that cannot happen without a judicial warrant.

A 2018 court decision, that applies statewide, found that New York law enforcement does not have authority to hold someone solely for federal civil immigration purposes.