A Biden-era Mexican migrant is accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in an Idaho park and then kidnapping her, authorities said.
Boise police arrested 29-year-old Jose Alberto Lozano-Flores on July 23 for lewd conduct with a child, kidnapping for the purpose of ransom or committing rape, and resisting or obstructing officers.
He reportedly randomly targeted the teen, who was paddleboarding in the park, and held her overnight against her will, police said.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also lodged an immigration detainer for Lozano-Flores, who illegally entered the United States through New Mexico in 2023.
Lozano-Flores was encountered by Border Patrol agents and agreed to voluntarily return to Mexico. He then illegally re-entered the country at an unknown date and location, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said.
“ICE will work with our partners in Idaho to ensure that he is not released from jail and is never loose in American communities again,” DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said. “When state politicians cooperate with us, we are able to keep criminals out of American neighborhoods.”
According to CBS2 News in Idaho, the alleged assault and kidnapping occurred around 9 p.m. July 22 at Freedom Park in Star, Idaho. Star is about 17 miles west of Boise, Idaho, where the girl was found.
Other reports indicate Lozano-Flores allegedly watched the teen before violently dragging her into the woods, sexually assaulting her and forcing her into his vehicle, according to court documents.
🚨An illegal alien KIDNAPPED and SEXUALLY ASSAULTED a 15-year-old girl in Idaho.
Jose Alberto Lozano-Flores, from Mexico, is now facing charges of lewd conduct with a child, kidnapping for the purpose of ransom or committing rape, and resisting or obstructing officers.… pic.twitter.com/xsCgCRefSg
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) July 28, 2026
In a news release announcing his arrest, the Ada County Sheriff’s Office described him as a “Nampa man.” Detectives with the sheriff’s office and Star police found the suspect’s vehicle around 3:19 p.m. July 23 at Quinn’s Pond in Boise, Idaho. Both the suspect and the victim were inside the vehicle.
The teenager was dehydrated and hungry but was safely reunited with her family, authorities said.
Investigators said Lozano-Flores did not know the victim before the incident and he appears to have randomly scoped her out before the alleged assault.
In an interview with police, the victim said Lozano-Flores explicitly threatened to traffic her across the border to Mexico if she spoke out about the assault, prosecutors said.
Lozano-Flores was booked in the Ada County Jail on felony counts of first-degree kidnapping, lewd conduct with a child under 16, and a misdemeanor count of resisting or obstructing officers. According to jail records, he is being held on a $1 million bond.
Boise, Idaho, the state’s capital located in Ada County, was included on a federal sanctuary list in May 2025 but later removed by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The city holds a “Welcoming City” certification aimed at supporting immigrants and refugees, according to Mayor Lauren McLean, who contacted DHS last year to clarify the city’s status.
McLean has said that the city operates within federal rules and does not run the county jail where immigration detainers are handled, per CBS2 News.
“Boise is, however, made so special by the vibrant and diverse communities that live here,” McLean said. “We remain committed as ever to remaining a safe and welcoming city for everyone.”
Two similar alleged assaults on women have been reported in parks in Virginia in June and July. The suspects are both illegal immigrants.
On July 15, a former college athlete fought off a Salvadoran migrant who allegedly tried to assault and abduct her on a busy walking trail in Loudoun County, Virginia, police said.
Another incident was reported on June 21 in Fairfax County, Virginia, after an illegal immigrant reportedly exposed himself to a woman while she was walking on a trail. The man then tried to assault and abduct another woman on a bicycle in the same park in Annandale, Virginia.
