Homeland Security officers detain adult near Kansas City elementary school, spokesperson says

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Homeland Security officers showed up at a Kansas City-area elementary school Tuesday morning. Now the school is clarifying what happened.

Guadalupe Centers confirmed Homeland Security officers arrived near the school at Denver Avenue and Van Brunt Drive before classes began.

Officers detained an adult who is related to a student attending the school, according to Guadalupe Centers. The school’s statement did not indicate why the adult was detained.

Staff escorted the student into the building. The student did not witness any of the interaction between officers and the adult, according to Guadalupe Centers.

Guadalupe Centers said the school day continued as planned and staff focused on maintaining a safe and secure school for everyone there.

A senior Department of Homeland Security official told KCTV ICE attempted to arrest Marcos Martinez-Jimenez at his home Tuesday morning.

“However, he fled through the backdoor of his residence and drove off. ICE officers stopped the vehicle in a parking lot, near a school, and took the individual into custody without incident.”

DHS said Martinez-Jimenez is a Mexican national who was previously deported on Oct. 28, 2011. He then re-entered the U.S. after his removal. The official said Martinez-Jimenez was previously convicted of felony aggravated indecent liberties with a child between the age of 14 and 16.

“No one should want convicted sex offenders near children’s schools,” the DHS official said. “ICE used their common sense to arrest and detain a sexual predator who is in our country illegally.”

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