Alex Cofield, press secretary for Attorney General Jason Miyares’ campaign, said that Jay Jones and Steve Descano support policies perceived as lenient on crime. Cofield cited a case involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) where Descano allegedly refused to prosecute an illegal alien sex offender.
“We are grateful that Homeland Security and Metropolitan Police were able to get this man off our streets,” said Cofield, Press Secretary for Miyares Campaign. “Horrifically, releasing violent criminals back into our neighborhoods has become the policy priority for Jay Jones and his campaign co-chair Steve Descano – both of whom refuse to uphold the law and protect Virginians.”
According to a press release from ICE, agents along with D.C. police arrested a previously deported Mexican national near the National Mall on August 20. The individual was accused of committing sex crimes against a child in Virginia earlier this year. Officials identified the man as 35-year-old David Perez-Teofani, who had been charged in Fairfax County with felony indecent liberties and aggravated sexual battery of a child under 13. However, he was released from custody after local authorities did not honor an ICE detainer request.
“David Perez-Teofani caused a scene by screaming and crying crocodile tears for everyone to see at the scene of his arrest, but we have no sympathy for accused pedophiles and immigration offenders,” said Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. She added that Perez-Teofani had illegally reentered the United States after two previous removals and was captured in Fairfax County for suspected sex crimes against a child. McLaughlin noted that while the previous administration may have tolerated such offenders, under President Trump and Secretary Noem’s leadership, there has been empowerment to remove these criminals.
Homeland Security officials reported that Perez-Teofani had repeatedly entered the United States illegally. Records indicate he was first removed to Mexico in 2014 following an expedited removal order and again later that year when he attempted reentry using a stolen U.S. passport. Despite these deportations, he managed to reenter the country at some point before being taken into custody by Fairfax police in January 2024 and subsequently released back into the community.
Jay Jones is running as a Democrat for Virginia attorney general against incumbent Jason Miyares. Jones’ campaign co-chair is Steve Descano, who serves as the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney.
Jason Miyares currently holds the position of Virginia’s Attorney General. He has previously served as a state delegate and prosecutor with a focus on public safety, supporting law enforcement, and advocating for stricter penalties for violent crime and drug trafficking.
