ICE criticizes release of man later charged in Mounds View sexual assault

A Little Canada man has been charged with sexually assaulting a woman while working as a handyman in her Mounds View home, according to a criminal complaint filed in Ramsey County District Court. Marcotulio Melendez Diaz, 42, was charged Oct. 26 with one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. In a Nov. 2 post on X , U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement identified Melendez Diaz as a Honduran citizen. The agency said a federal judge had ordered his release from immigration custody after an immigration judge ordered his deportation. According to the criminal complaint, Melendez Diaz arrived at the woman’s home Oct. 12 to complete repairs and repeatedly refused her requests to leave before sexually assaulting her. Advertisement The woman reported to police the next day that she had been assaulted. Investigators recovered security footage supporting her account, and a medical examination documented injuries, according to the complaint. She identified Melendez Diaz in a photo lineup. ICE criticized the release decision and said Melendez Diaz’s deportation order became final in October. The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday. Federal court records show that a man with the same name challenged his immigration detention in the Western District of Texas on March 27.