A Danville businessman who was taken into custody by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents Saturday has ties to the Tamaqua area.

Sergio Chavez Jimenez, 46, worked for La Dolce Casa-DiMaggio’s in Tamaqua for 17 years before opening his own restaurant, Amigo’s Pizzeria and Mexican Restaurant in Danville, about five years ago.

“This kid never missed one day of work. He came in for a 12-hour shift every day and never complained, always on time and respect the community,” Alfie Picone, La Dolce Casa owner, said Monday morning.

“He is a great person, a beautiful person in and out,” Picone said.

Jimenez worked hard and trained alongside Picone at La Dolce, doing every job from making pizza and cooking in the kitchen to cleaning floors and bathrooms, Picone said.

When Jimenez was ready to leave and start his own business, Picone applauded and support his efforts, because he was living his own American dream.

Picone was pained to learn that ICE agents detained Jimenez on Saturday morning as he was going to open his restaurant for the day.

Picone said he understands that criminals should not be in this country but cannot believe that Jimenez committed any crime — only worked hard for a better a life.

“This country was built by immigrants,” Picone said. “It breaks my heart to see what’s happened to this country. I’m an immigrant. There are good immigrants and there are bad immigrants.”

Picone only sees and knows of good in his former employee, who still called him once or twice a month to thank him.

“Thank you for teaching value. Thank you for teaching me to work hard and be better. Thank you that today I own my own restaurant, because you teach me the right thing,” Picone recalls him saying.

And Picone said he’s grateful that he was able to impart those life lessons and help another person in life.

“Not everyone can do what we do,” he said. “Not everyone can put in 90 hours a week or better. Not everyone can give their life for a restaurant. It’s not for everybody.”

On Sunday, the day after Jimenez was picked up by ICE, the Danville community came out to show their support the man who came to this country from Mexico as boy and worked hard.

Montour County Commissioner Trevor Finn told news outlets that Jimenez doesn’t fit the criteria for what immigration enforcement had promised — going after murders, rapists and drug dealers.

“What has happened instead is that they’re picking up somebody like Sergio, (who) doesn’t make this a worse place but makes this a better place for us,” Finn said.

At a vigil Sunday people talked about his charitable deeds, such as bringing pizza to first responders and donating to a homeless shelter. They hoped by showing support that they will be able to bring him back home.

Jimenez was not born in the United States, but according to several news outlets, brought into the country as a child from Mexico. He had worked to become a legal U.S. citizen and is married and has children.

According to an ICE detainee locator, Jimenez has been taken to the Clinton County correctional facility and faces a court date in January.