A teenage male, living in the United States illegally, is facing serious charges after a brutal hammer attack on a female jogger in a Texas park, with authorities revealing he had previously been arrested and released by immigration officials.
A Violent Afternoon Assault
The terrifying incident unfolded on Thursday, November 13th, around 5 pm at Bob Woodruff Park in Plano, a suburb of Dallas. According to the Plano Police Department, the unnamed victim was jogging when a man, later identified as Sergio Noe de Nova Duarte, 17, chased her with a hammer.
Witnesses alerted emergency services, reporting the bloody scene. Police confirmed that Duarte savagely struck the woman with the hammer at least twice. Despite her injuries, the victim showed immense courage and managed to fight back against her assailant.
Kidnapping Plans Thwarted
Detective Alexandra Cole of the Plano Police revealed that the attack was part of a more sinister plan. "He then was trying to restrain her utilising duct tape," Det. Cole stated. The assailant had brought duct tape with the apparent intention of kidnapping the woman.
It was the victim's fierce resistance that ultimately caused Duarte to flee the scene. "It could have been way worse," Det. Cole added. "We don't know what his plans were from there." The victim was subsequently treated at a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries.
A History of Immigration Violations
Following the attack, Duarte was traced to a residence in Plano and arrested the same day. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has since confirmed that the Mexican citizen had been living in the US illegally for nearly a decade.
ICE records show Duarte first entered the US in 2016 on a B2 visitor's visa when he was just nine years old. The visa required him to depart by September 17, 2016, but he instead remained in the country. In a statement, ICE Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, "This criminal illegal alien should have never been loose in our communities to attack this woman jogging in a park with a hammer."
The case has drawn parallels to another high-profile crime, the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, for which a Venezuelan migrant was found guilty. It was also revealed that Duarte had a prior encounter with law enforcement; he was arrested on burglary and larceny charges earlier in 2024 when he was 16.
Following that arrest, Duarte was taken into ICE custody but was later released with a notice to appear before an immigration judge, with a court date set for 2026. McLaughlin criticised this decision, stating, "Following this illegal alien’s arrest in 2024, the Biden administration released this criminal illegal alien back into our communities." An ICE detainer has now been lodged to ensure he remains in custody.
Sergio Noe de Nova Duarte is now being held at the Collin County Jail in Texas and is being charged as an adult with aggravated kidnapping.
