Man who escaped ICE in New York arrested in West Loop Starbucks

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A man who escaped Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City Tuesday was arrested Friday afternoon at a Starbucks in the West Loop.

Mohamadou Lamine Mbacke, 31, a Senegalese national, was arrested at the coffee shop at the intersection of Adams and Clinton around 1:30 p.m.

Mbacke, who has multiple prior violent convictions and a dozen arrests in New York over a four year period, managed to escape federal custody while in the process of being deported.

Officials said he was about to be put on a commercial flight for his deportation when he took off running. ICE agents had removed his handcuffs to get him through security.

Adding to law enforcement's embarrassment, Mbacke caught a taxi at JFK to complete his escape.

Three days later, a witness said Mbacke was sitting at the Starbucks near Union Station, enjoying a coffee, when he was approached by undercover officers.

"All of a sudden see seven cops kind of running from the outside into the inside, and they kinda huddled around him. There wasn't any fuss or anything, it was just they all exchanged words with him, they got the handcuffs, and they left in like a group huddle," said Zimbo Gessert, Starbucks employee.

Officials said Mbacke will be returned to New York to face charges related to his escape, followed again by deportation to Senegal.