NEW BEDFORD – A man who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in New Bedford in a dramatic arrest in April has been released from custody.
Juan Francisco Mendez was released Thursday on a $1,500 bond after a month of being held at a facility in New Hampshire.
Mendez, who is from Guatemala, was taken into custody by ICE agents as he drove to a dental appointment. They were seen on video smashing the window of a car Mendez was riding with a hammer.
The agents claimed they were looking for another man who lived in the same neighborhood.
The lawyers for Mendez said he was detained while in the process of applying for asylum status.
Material from The Associated Press was used for this story.
By Jim McCabe, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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