ALBANY — A man accused of striking a federal immigration officer when Rotterdam Police turned him over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement after a shoplifting arrest pleaded guilty Monday to attacking the officer.
Michel Manuel Garcia Rojas, who is from Nicaragua, and a Colombian woman had been charged with misdemeanor petit larceny and endangering the welfare of a child in connection with alleged thefts at a grocery store. The complaint said the couple “(concealed) merchandise underneath a small child in a shopping cart” and tried to leave the store without paying.
The federal criminal complaint said Garcia Rojas had been allowed to remain free while removal efforts proceeded against him in immigration court. Rotterdam police called ICE after the couple was arrested…