Costa Rican Man Wanted In Rape Arrested in U.S.
A Costa Rican national wanted in his homeland for raping a mentally disabled girl was arrested yesterday in Manville, New Jersey authorities said.

Acting on a tip, agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement  (ICE) and Manville police found Mirciades Antonio Solano Quesada at a house on Rosalie Street, spokesperson Michael Gilhooly said.

Solano-Quesada, 35, was sentenced in 1997 to a decade in a Costa Rican prison for raping and impregnating a mentally disabled 13-year-old girl, according to documents obtained by agents.

He escaped before being imprisoned, entered the U.S. illegally, and had been sought on an Interpol fugitive warrant, Gilhooly said.

Investigators believe Solano- Quesada had been living at the Manville house under an alias. Gilhooly said agents found a valid New Jersey driver's license with Solano-Quesada's photo but issued in the name Donocio Zeferino. He said agents were investigating how Solano-Quesada obtained the license.

Solano-Quesada was jailed last night, awaiting a deportation hearing that would send him back to Costa Rica.

Raymond Simonse, director of ICE's Newark office of detention and removal operations, hailed the case as an example of cooperation among ICE, Interpol and the Costa Rican government. Gilhooly also cited the assistance of the Manville police.

"International cooperation and good police work will ensure this man faces justice in Costa Rica," Simonse said.

When arrested, Solano-Quesada initially denied he was using an alias, but when presented with evidence, he admitted his true identity, authorities said. He also admitted he illegally entered this county.

According to an Interpol arrest warrant, Solano-Quesada was convicted March 22, 1997, for the rape of a minor.  Solano-Quesada lured the victim to a remote location and raped her, according to Costa Rican government documents. The girl became pregnant due to the assault.

The Fugitive Operations Team tracked down Solano-Quesada with the help of a tip. Fingerprints prove that the man arrested in Manville was the same man convicted of rape, according to Costa Rican authorities.