04-02-2025
Walton arrest could lead to extradition, deportation
A recent Walton traffic stop could lead to the deportation of a Guatemalan man also wanted in Massachusetts.
Teodoro Rodriguez Chivalan, a 50-year old man from Guatemala, was arrested just before midnight Friday in Walton.
According to a press release from the Walton Police Department, Rodriguez Chivalan was stopped by Deputy Marshal Matt Heflin after the officer watched his silver Dodge Caravan fail to stop at a stop sign at Broadway Street and Main Street.
During the traffic stop, Heflin allegedly found that Rodriguez Chivalan had never been issued a driver's license and was wanted on a nationwide extradition warrant from the State of Massachusetts for two counts of Strong-Armed Rape, both level 1 felonies, and one count of Intimidation of a Witness, which is also a felony.
Rodriguez Chivalan has been wanted by Massachusetts State Police since Jan. 23, 2017, according to the extradition warrant obtained by the Pharos-Tribune. The same warrant predicted he would be found in Kentucky.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a Warrant for Arrest of Alien immediately after being notified that Rodriguez Chivalan had been arrested.
In the past, Heflin explained in a phone call with the Pharos-Tribune, a suspect's state charges have been taken care of before they were deported. However, he's unsure if that will continue to be the case.
'Given the new executive orders, I'm not sure if ICE will take him before Massachusetts,' Heflin said, adding ICE's presence has felt stronger lately.
'We take somebody to jail now and they're doing detainers on them within 30 minutes,' he added. 'It doesn't matter if it's the middle of the day, the middle of the night, they have a guy on.'
The Massachusetts State Police's Office of Media Relations was not able to provide an answer on where Rodriguez Chivalan will go next, and messages left with the ICE agent who works with the Walton Police Department were not answered by Monday afternoon.
Other than the Massachusetts charges and the ICE warrant, Rodriguez Chivalan is being held at the Cass County Jail for driving without a license, which is a Class C misdemeanor.
The Cass County Sheriff's Department assisted in the arrest.
