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11h ago

Judge Orders Release After Unlawful Jail Hold in National Zoo Arrest Case

A prosecutor cleared an erroneous warrant database hit that had blocked compliance with the court’s release order.

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Overview

  • Kristal Rios Esquivel was arrested on August 20 at the National Zoo, accused of spitting on a police sergeant and making contact with an officer’s leg.
  • Federal authorities did not present her to a magistrate until August 25, when prosecutors declined to seek detention and recommended minimal supervision.
  • Despite the court’s release order, she remained jailed, prompting an emergency motion from her attorney that ended with the plea “HELP!!!!”.
  • U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui condemned the detention as false imprisonment and directed the D.C. Department of Corrections to coordinate her release with the Justice Department by 1 p.m.
  • A Justice Department prosecutor removed the incorrect database entry preventing release, according to CBS News, while the D.C. Department of Corrections and the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment.