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Who was Roberto Carlos Montoya? Man dies while fleeing ICE raid in Los Angeles
A Guatemalan man died after running onto a freeway during an ICE raid at a Home Depot in Monrovia.
A man who ran away during an immigration raid at a Home Depot in Southern California was killed after he ran onto a freeway as federal agents moved in, local officials said.
The National Day Laborer Organizing Network identified the man as Roberto Carlos Montoya Valdés, 52, from Guatemala.
Who was Roberto Carlos Montoya?
Roberto Carlos Montoya ran from a Home Depot in Monrovia, about 20 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents began the operation Thursday morning, Monrovia City Manager Dylan Feik said in a statement.
He was crossing northbound across eastbound Interstate 210 when he stepped in front of an SUV traveling about 60 mph in the far-left lane, the California Highway Patrol said in a release, citing investigators. The vehicle’s right front side hit the man, who suffered serious injuries and died at a hospital.
A spokesperson for the US Department of Homeland Security wrote in an email that the agency was not notified of the incident until hours after operations in the area had concluded. “This individual was not being pursued by any DHS law enforcement,” said the spokesperson, who was not named, according to AP news report.
A vigil was held at the Home Depot where the raid took place on Thursday. It was organized by Monrovia High School Students Against Fascism, with help from the Los Angeles Chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, according to the Los Angeles Times.
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Second death tied to ICE raids amid rising fear in California
This incident unfolded during a series of arrests at Home Depot stores, car washes, and other places as President Donald Trump’s administration increases immigration enforcement in Southern California. The raids by masked agents have caused widespread fear in immigrant communities. The man is the second person reported to have died in Southern California while trying to flee federal immigration enforcement agents.
Last month, a federal court in Southern California temporarily blocked the Trump administration from carrying out indiscriminate sweeps. A hearing on the issue is set for September.
