An Ecuadorian mother of two children, including one with autism, has been detained at Burlington’s ICE processing center since last week after being arrested and charged with shoplifting. The woman’s family and attorneys say it was simply a misunderstanding at a Target store.
Melanie Tinoco was arrested by Boston police at Target on Oct. 1, but was released later that day after being held for several hours at the District 4 office in the South End. As she walked out the door, she was detained by a group of four men who were not in uniform and didn’t say who they were with, according to her husband, Martin Gurfinkiel, who was there to pick her up but watched her detention in horror.
“They never show any warrants. They never say anything. They just grab her, put her in a car. She was screaming my name, like saying, ‘My love, my love, help me,’ and said, ‘Martin, help me, please.’”…