U.S. Attorney John Sarcone spoke publicly Monday about his brush with danger last week in downtown Albany that received national attention.
Sarcone is blaming the Albany Police Department and former President Biden’s border policies for creating circumstances that led to last week’s alleged knife attack by an undocumented individual from El Salvador.
It has become a political flashpoint, with Republicans quick to blame Democrats’ immigration policies.
Sarcone, a Trump appointee, echoed those calls at an unrelated press conference in Latham Monday. He told reporters: "I know bad when I see it."
"I was just standing in front of the Hilton looking straight ahead, and he screamed at me, and I don't turn, and he keeps screaming," Sarcone said. "And then finally, when I saw him walking towards me, I turned, still didn't say a word, just watching, and then the knife came out, and he went like this, and then charged at me. So it was nerve. I mean, it was frightening. And then I ran, got to the lobby, and before I walked in, he was turned around and was walking away. And that's when I called the sheriff, and I went out to the sidewalk to engage him, to keep him in the area, because I knew that someone was going to be severely injured, if not killed, that night."
According to Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple, Saul Morales-Garcia displayed a knife in the area of 40 Lodge Street last Tuesday night. Morales-Garcia is facing multiple charges as his case is slated to move to federal court.
Sarcone said Morales-Garcia had committed a crime prior to his 2010 deportation, then re-entered the country in 2021 during the Biden administration.
"He should never have been on the streets of Albany. This guy should have never been in this country again after having previously deported," Sarcone said. 'So my office had to recuse itself from prosecuting for the re-entry into this country illegally. But it will be prosecuted in Southern District of New York, and I fully expect that this individual will be sent to that hellhole prison in El Salvador to serve his time."
Sarcone, whose father was a police detective in New York City, describes himself as an "average citizen" with no special self-defense skills.
"I'm appalled that there was no police presence around the Capitol. In fact, Albany Police never even showed up on the scene. You have the U.S. Attorney chased down the street with a knife. A knife wielding maniac. Not one call from the chief of police. Not one squad car pulled up. And thank God I called the sheriff instead of the Albany police, because they should have been there. All the legislature was in session. OK, a lot of people up in the Capitol, and you've got no police presence at all, disgraceful," Sarcone said.
Albany Police Chief Brendan Cox tells WAMC he wasn’t aware Sarcone was the victim of a crime until he was contacted by another agency the following day.
“At some point during the evening, we were notified. We weren't notified who the victim was. Our people attempted to say they would certainly take over, it happened in our city, and we were told it was being taken by the sheriff’s department. They have jurisdiction throughout the entire county,” Cox said.
Sarcone spoke Monday after a press conference he held with federal officials announcing 13 arrests related to a New York City-based drug-trafficking ring, which involved Capital Region residents. Federal agents seized large quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, cash and cannabis.
Frank Tarentino is Special Agent in charge of DEA's New York Division.
"We're making some significant inroads into the fentanyl supply chain and the entire illicit supply chain. We're seizing record numbers of drugs all across the United States. The DEA and all of our partners are doing a great job, working both top down and bottom up. Type of investigations, data driven, intelligence led investigations that are really going after the cartels," said Tarentino.
Authorities say the co-conspirators moved drugs from California to sell in New York. For his part, Sarcone blamed “weak state laws and even weaker state legislators from New York City” for allowing criminal organizations to proliferate.
