05/28/2026
๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐๐ฟ๐ด๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ, ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ-๐๐ป: $๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ป ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐, ๐๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐น๐ฒ๐ป (๐๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐ข๐ฅ๐ง)
๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐จ (๐๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฌ)
๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ง: ICE moved to deport a Spanish national who was captured moments after police said he burglarized a Montvale convenience store, stealing $4,000 worth of ci******es and a register holding more than $400 in cash.
A Woodcliff Lake police officer who was part of a perimeter that instantly formed after the pre-dawn break-in at the Montvale Market yesterday (Tues., May 26th) found Argel Estepa Almonte, 35, according to Montvale Police Chief Douglas McDowell.
Almonte was "hiding beneath a plastic folding table between the front and back row of seats of a Honda Pilot parked in a driveway on Olde Woods Lane," the chief told Independent Online News.
Surveillance video recorded Almonte breaking in through a rear door of the Spring Valley Road convenience store while wearing a gray sweatshirt, a hat and gloves, McDowell said.
Almonte had already been charged with a commercial burglary in Fair Lawn last Wednesday (May 20th) and another in Waldwick on May 9th, records show.
He was released each time.
Police investigating burglaries in Haworth and Northvale, among other towns, were eyeing him for possible charges, as well, when he was arrested in Montvale, Independent Online News has learned.
Responding to a burglar alarm, Officers Mark Pierro and Krystian Maleszewski found a register missing and various merchandise -- including ci******es -- scattered around the counter of the Montvale Market, McDowell said.
Moments later, they found a carton of ci******es on Summit Avenue between Demarest Lane and Olde Woods Lane, the chief told Independent Online News.
Maleszewski subsequently heard twigs breaking in the strip of woods behind one of the homes on Olde Woods Lane. He then heard what turned out to be a fence panel being broken.
Officers from surrounding towns joined their Montvale colleagues, who found shoe tracks in the grass.
Almonte was captured moments later.
In his SUV were two screwdrivers that McDowell said "could be seen in use [by store cameras] to break into Montvale Market and in an attempt to open the cash registers."
Officers also found the sweatshirt, hat and gloves in the Honda, tchief said.
Almonte "stole 28 cartons of ci******es for an approximate value of $4,000 and approximately $405 in cash," McDowell said.
Montvale police charged him with burglary, resisting arrest and hindering apprehension, among other counts, then sent him to Bergen County's jail.
Immigration & Customs Enforcement immediately stepped in, issuing a detainer requesting Almonte be held until ICE agents can pick him up.
ICE issues such detainers when it has proof or reasonable suspicion that a jailed inmate is in the country illegally (Their status is considered "uncertain" or "contested"). This is aimed at preventing their release by a local judge -- under New Jersey's bail reform law, for instance.
Bergen County Sheriff Anthony Cureton has honored ICE detainers, although some sheriffs in other New Jersey counties haven't.
As a result, Almonte will be brought before an immigration judge in Newark who will determine whether he is permitted to stay here under federal law or be deported.
The judge, who works for the U.S. Department of Justice, will also decide whether ICE should deport Almonte immediately or wait until he's prosecuted -- and, if convicted, serves out his sentence.
