Illegal alien with rap sheet allegedly broke into Dem candidate's office, remains at large from ICE: Report

A man in the country illegally is responsible for a string of recent break-ins, including the attack on the Phoenix headquarters of Arizona Democrat gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs, police say.

Daniel Mota Dos Reis, 36, allegedly trespassed at an office building in uptown Phoenix on three separate occasions between October 22 and October 25. Within that office complex is the campaign headquarters for Hobbs, who is also the current Secretary of State in Arizona. That office was allegedly burglarized on Oct. 24. There is no indication that the attack was politically motivated.

On Oct. 26, Dos Reis had a run-in with police. During the confrontation, Dos Reis reportedly attempted to flee law enforcement and pushed a 60-year-old female security guard to the ground. He was then arrested for criminal trespassing and burglary and taken into custody. At the time of his arrest, police say they found several items which could be used in a burglary attempt as well as a new camera.

Later that evening, a Phoenix Police Department patrol officer was watching news coverage of the break-in at Hobbs' campaign office, which had occurred a few days before. The news segment contained surveillance images from the Hobbs attack, and the officer recognized the suspect featured on the footage as Dos Reis, whom police had arrested earlier that day. The officer then contacted the jail, discovered that Dos Reis was still in custody, and police rearrested Dos Reis on one count of third-degree burglary for the Hobbs incident.

Police believe that Dos Reis stole an Apple computer mouse, an Apple keyboard, and a black Nikon camera, worth a total of nearly $1,200.

Dos Reis is a Portuguese citizen who came to America on a student visa in 2018, but has since violated the terms of his stay, officials say.

"[Dos Reis is] currently at-large for administrative immigration violations for failing to maintain his status as a registered student at an academic institution," said Yasmeen Pitts O’Keefe, an ICE public affairs officer.

Dos Reis also has prior convictions for assaulting an officer and shoplifting.

Because he is wanted for "administrative immigration violations," many are wondering why he was not detained by immigration officers after his arrest for burglary. Instead, he was released on bond before an immigration detention order was even issued.

O'Keefe did confirm that Dos Reis was brought to the attention of Enforcement and Removal Operations, a subgroup of ICE, on Oct. 27. However, it is unclear whether an ERO officer spoke with Dos Reis before he was bonded out of jail.

Though the suspect in the case, Dos Reis, is a homeless and perhaps illegal immigrant with a criminal record, Hobbs blamed her Republican opponent, Kari Lake, for the attack on her office.

"Kari Lake’s preposterous allegation that this break-in was staged is unfounded and her refusal to condemn the threats that have become common in our politics continues to stoke chaos," a statement from Nicole DeMont, Hobbs' campaign manager, reads in part. "Arizona is one of the top states for threats to election officials and poll workers. Public officials and candidates for office are harassed regularly, and armed vigilantes stand near ballot drop boxes, aiming to intimidate voters. Every Arizonan deserves to be able to do their jobs or exercise their constitutional rights to engage in our democracy safely."

As several outlets, including KPNX-TV and KTAR News, have reported, there is no evidence linking Lake or any of her campaign rhetoric to the attack.