Man Rushed to Help 9-Year-Old Shark Attack Victim. Days Later, ICE Arrests Him and Says He's in the Country Illegally
He is now facing potential deportation, according to news reports, and ICE says he's been in the country illegally since 2022
"He's a real decent guy," a colleague who also assisted in the rescue said of AlvarezA man who helped rescue a 9-year-old girl from a shark attack is now in the custody of immigration officials — and potentially facing punishment including deportation — according to authorities and local news reports.
Earlier this month, 31-year-old Luis Alvarez was one of three men who came to help the young girl, Leah Lendel, after she was bitten by a shark while vacationing with her family.
He is currently being held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after he was arrested earlier this month for allegedly driving without a license, Fox affiliate WFTX and the Fort Myers News-Press initially reported.
On Saturday, June 14, at 1:37 a.m. local time, Alvarez was pulled over after an officer said he was driving without headlights in Immokalee, Fla., according to an arrest report reviewed by PEOPLE.
Alvarez, who was born in Nicaragua, per the arrest report, presented the officer with a picture of his U.S. Employment Authorization Document on his phone when asked to present his driver's license. But a records check conducted by the officer showed that Alvarez had never been issued a U.S. driver's license.
Alvarez told the officer he'd been in the country for two and a half years, according to the report.
He was then arrested by the Collier County Sheriff's Office for allegedly driving without a valid driver's license, according to the report and court records.
A spokesperson for the Collier County Jail confirms to PEOPLE that Alvarez is being held by ICE.
An ICE spokesperson says Alvarez entered the country illegally in December 2022 — despite showing police a work authorization document, according to his arrest report — and was subsequently taken into custody this month as part of a partnership between local police and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Bail is set at $150. Alvarez will appear in court on July 9.
He was previously arrested four times in Lee County for not having a driver's license, the News-Press reported. He either paid fines or had adjudication withheld by judges, the most recent of which issued a D6 license suspension on June 23, according to the outlet.
The News-Press also reported that Alvarez was represented by attorney Jose Calvo last year. Calvo did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
Just days before his arrest, Alvarez was celebrated for his response to the shark attack.
The Boca Grande County Fire Department, Lee County Sheriff's Department and emergency services responded to a call about a "potential shark bite" around 12 p.m. local time on June 11 in Boca Grande, Fla., Boca Grande Fire Chief C.W. Blosser previously said in a video statement.
Jay Lendel, the father of the victim, Leah, said that emergency responses arrived in about three minutes.
Nearby construction workers including Alvarez also came over to assist the family. Alfonso Tello, who was at the scene, told Gulf Coast News that when he got in the water to help, he saw what appeared to be an 8-foot-long shark.
"We saw the little girl coming out of the water with no hand," Tello said, adding, "Everybody was in shock."
Leah's family and the construction workers were able to get her to Shore Lane. She was then airlifted to a nearby hospital and underwent an emergency, six-hour surgery to repair her hand.
The young girl's mom later confirmed to Gulf Coast News on June 12 that "doctors were able to put her hand back together."
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One of the workers who responded told WFTX about the big role his colleague, Alvarez, played in the rescue.
"He jumped in that area to bring her out when I was assisting Leah," Raynel Lugo told the outlet. "He went deep underwater, not even caring about the shark. He went really deep. He probably faced the shark."
Added Lugo, according to WFTX. "He's a real decent guy."
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