ICE Sought Man Fleeing Arrest, Feds Say After Children Ran From Bus Stop In Camden Co.

LINDENWOLD, NJ — Federal authorities say Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were trying to catch a man fleeing arrest Thursday morning when they pulled up to a Lindenwold apartment complex.

Dozens of elementary school students ran from their bus stop as ICE agents reached the nearby Woodland Village Apartment complex. Read more: Students Flee Bus Stop As ICE Agents Pull Up To Camden Co. Apartment Complex

On Monday, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Patch that ICE was trying to arrest Honduras native Hugo Ariel Coello. ICE is part of the DHS.

When ICE agents from the Newark Field Office tried to stop Coello's vehicle, he refused to pull over and got stuck in school bus traffic, the DHS spokesperson said.

"He fled from law enforcement and ran inside one of the apartments on site," the spokesperson said in a statement. "For their safety and that of the community, officers left the apartment complex without completing the arrest."

Days earlier, Coello spoke to NBC10 Philadelphia and identified himself as the man who ICE was after. Coello told the media outlet he has been in the U.S. for 21 years without issues.

Footage obtained by NBC10 appears to show federal agents standing outside an apartment. Coello said he was inside the apartment while his son was outside.

Coello's criminal history "includes assault, strangulation, aggravated assault, theft, receiving stolen property and reckless endangerment," the DHS spokesperson said. He remains at large as of Monday.

Recent incidents have cast doubts on the credibility of the DHS and several law-enforcement agencies under its umbrella. That includes video evidence contradicting federal statements about Alex Pretti, who U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers shot and killed last month in Minneapolis.

ICE has repeatedly lost court cases because of the agency's "loss of credibility," according to The Los Angeles Times.

Dozens of fourth- and fifth-graders were waiting for the school bus while then federal agents arrived at the complex. Surveillance footage showed the children running away.

The school bus driver circled back several times to ensure as many children as possible were safely driven to school, according to a statement from the Lindenwold School District.

ICE's presence "caused significant fear and confusion" for students, many of whom were "understandably upset and emotional" at school that day, the district said.

On Friday, county politicians said they still lacked answers on why ICE was there.

"The impact and fear that struck the children of our county was painful to watch and I can’t imagine the anxiety and trauma that came from this incident," said Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. "We have a dialogue with our Congressman (Donald Norcross) who is helping us get answers to what happened."

Rep. Norcross (D, NJ-1) said he was "outraged" by reports coming out about ICE's actions in Lindenwold.

Norcross has pushed for ICE agents to have body cameras and expressed support for "rebuilding ICE so it operates transparently, lawfully, and with respect for civil rights." He says he's also pursuing the impeachment of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.