A man living in Plymouth but facing deportation proceedings in Florida was taken into custody by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents Friday morning after he was found hiding in Vine Hills Cemetery.
When ICE agents approached him, the man fled by car into the cemetery off Summer Street where he struck multiple headstones, according to a news release issued by the town.
The agents did not chase the unidentified man – believed to be living on Chapel Hill Drive – but 20 minutes later found his empty vehicle in the cemetery, the release said.
Plymouth officers were called to the scene to investigate the crash.
About 30 minutes after the vehicle was located, federal agents found the man hiding in some bushes and took him into custody.
He had fled Miami after a judge ordered his deportation in connection with an “incident” there. ICE did not provide any details.
Last week, after ICE agents conducted multiple unannounced raids in town, local police and government officials expressed their displeasure over not being notified beforehand. The agents’ presence was frightening to some residents, and they could have been mistaken for armed criminals, police chief Dana Flynn said at the time.
Kevin Canty, Plymouth’s Select Board chair, called the incidents “very troubling and personally affecting.”
“To me, if you live here, you are a resident of this community. We represent everyone. It’s a core responsibility of our job to make sure our residents feel safe,” he said.
It is not known whether the man captured Friday is being held at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility on Long Pond Road.