Illegal immigrant accused of groping classmates at Fairfax High School

Illegal immigrant accused of groping fellow classmates at Fairfax High School

The Trump administration is calling on Fairfax County officials to heed its warning not to release a teen suspect who is accused of groping fellow students at Fairfax High School. ICE says the teen is in the country illegally and will be deported before he's ever released from custody. FOX 5's Bob Barnard is live outside Fairfax High School with the latest.

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - The Trump administration is calling on Fairfax County officials to heed its warning not to release a teen suspect who is accused of groping fellow students at Fairfax High School.  

ICE says the teen is in the country illegally and will be deported before he's ever released from custody. 

What we know:

This is a case that has embroiled the community from Fairfax County Public Schools to local law enforcement and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The 18-year-old suspect is Israel Christopher Flores Ortiz. He’s facing nine counts of assault and battery. 

The Department of Homeland Security says he's an illegal immigrant from El Salvador.  came to the U.S. in 2024. 

Flores Ortiz is accused of groping multiple girls in the hallway here at Fairfax City High School, grabbing them between the legs from behind. The incidents allegedly occurred on Feb. 25. 

He was arrested on March 7. The teen is being held without bond. ICE says it's filed a detainer on Flores Ortiz.

What they're saying:

Parents were concerned by the news of the arrest. 

"I think as a parent, it's very concerning to hear that these type of activities are taking place within this safety and the four walls of our school settings that we send our students to each and every day.  But I will say, I do appreciate how responsive the school was with taking action," Fairfax High School parent Melissa Swanston said. 

"If it had been going on repeatedly, why wasn't it either reported or acted on before it was repetitive?" Swanston went on to say. "The bigger concern is the activity that's taking place, right? I don't want to put too much focus on whether he was legally here or if he was an illegal immigrant. I think it's more so the action that was taking place is very concerning for me."

Dig deeper:

Court documents list this apartment community on Vineyard Lane in Fairfax as the teen suspect's address. He says he lives there with his father.  

Nobody was home when FOX 5 went to the home Tuesday afternoon. 

Fairfax County Public Schools says it can't comment on the case due to privacy laws, but that it prioritizes student and staff safety and fully investigates any and all incidents occurring in school.

What's next:

In a statement to FOX 5, the Department of Homeland Security said, "We are calling on Fairfax County to honor our detainer to ensure this violent criminal is removed from our country so he can never claim another victim again."

Flores Ortiz has his next court appearance on April 9. 

The Fairfax County Sheriff's Office says if the teen is ordered released from custody at some point, ICE can come get him.