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In Melrose Park, Illinois, Ricardo Aguayo Rodriguez’s family finds themselves in a distressing state of uncertainty. They suspect that Aguayo might be held at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing facility in Broadview, yet they have no confirmation of his whereabouts.
The family has enlisted the help of a lawyer, but despite this legal support, Aguayo’s sister confided to ABC7 her deep-seated fear that she might never lay eyes on her brother again. The emotional toll of this situation is palpable as they navigate the unknown.
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Aguayo, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, was apprehended by federal agents in Melrose Park on a Sunday. The arrest was captured on video from a vantage point in an upstairs window. The footage reveals a Border Patrol agent restraining Aguayo, seemingly in a chokehold, with Aguayo visibly struggling to breathe.
The video of Aguayo’s arrest was shot from an upstairs window. It shows a Border Patrol agent holding Aguayo in what appears to be a chokehold. He appears to be struggling to breathe.
His injuries were severe enough that he was taken by ambulance to Gottlieb Hospital, where he spent the night.
“When I saw the video, it hurt me. I just broke down crying to see that happening,” said Aguayo’s niece, Natalie.
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The man’s sister, Dora Suane, told ABC7, in Spanish, that her brother was riding his bike home from the grocery store when he was picked up near 17th Avenue and Main Street. The struggle seen in the video took place in an unrelated home’s driveway.
Suane said she was able to catch a glimpse of her brother’s bandaged head and face through the door of his hospital room on Sunday night.
“The agents were there, and they wouldn’t let me in,” Suane said, in Spanish.
A spokesperson for Gottleib Hospital said they were following protocol. In a statement, they said, “When law enforcement personnel come to our hospitals to seek medical care for a patient in their custody, we provide compassionate care and the patient remains in the custody of law enforcement.”
But while Aguayo was released from the hospital on Monday, he remains in custody. The family retained attorney Brian Orozco, who is still trying to find out where exactly Aguayo is being held.
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“To ascertain where he’s at and how long he’s going to be there. I still want to take pictures of his injuries and interview him as to what happened,” Orozco said.
A Department of Homeland Security statement said agents were in Melrose Park on Sunday, conducting an immigration enforcement operation to arrest Aguayo, when they say Aguayo saw them, abandoned his bicycle, and fled on foot.
“He actively resisted and assaulted law enforcement. The agent deployed pepper spray to deescalate the situation and stop the assaults. After Rodriquez continued to violently resist and put law enforcement in danger, the agent delivered strikes as a last resort,” the DHS statement said, in part.
“My uncle is a very sweet person. All he wants to do is help people. What ICE did to him is very wrong. And I felt he didn’t deserve that. He was trying to fight for his life,” Aguayo’s niece said.
ABC7 ran a background check on Aguayo and were able to find a handful of arrests for drug possession and one battery going back 20 and 25 years ago, respectively. His attorney told ABC7 that as of Monday night, he has still has not seen any evidence that there was a warrant for Aguayo’s arrest.
DHS’ full statement:
“On November 2, U.S. Border Patrol was conducting an immigration enforcement operation in Melrose Park, Illinois, to arrest Ricardo Rodriguez, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico. His criminal history includes previous convictions for assault and battery as well as possession of a controlled substance. Agents approached Rodriguez and upon noticing the agents, he abandoned his bicycle and fled on foot. Border Patrol pursuit Rodriguez and attempted to detain him. He actively resisted and assaulted law enforcement. The agent deployed pepper spray to deescalate the situation and stop the assaults. After Rodriquez continued to violently resist and put law enforcement in danger, the agent delivered strikes as a last resort. As a precaution, Border Patrol took the suspect to a hospital for medical treatment. He will remain in custody under medical supervision pending removal proceedings. This incident is another example of the violence our brave law enforcement faces every day. Our officers are facing mass assaults, vehicles used as weapons, violence and only use physical force as a last resort when repeated warnings have been given.”
