Man struck and killed on freeway after fleeing immigration agents, California official says
Share and Follow


LOS ANGELES (AP) — A man fleeing immigration authorities outside a Home Depot store in Southern California was struck and killed by an SUV when he ran across a nearby freeway, officials said.

Police in the city of Monrovia about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles received a call Thursday about the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. A responding officer saw ICE agents approaching the store and conducting enforcement activity there, City Manager Dylan Feik said in a statement.

One man fled on foot and headed toward the nearby freeway, where he was struck by a vehicle, Feik said. He was taken to a hospital, where he died, the statement said.

“We extend our condolences for the individual and his family,” Feik said.

The incident comes amid a series of arrests at Home Depot stores, car washes and other locations as President Donald Trump’s administration steps up immigration enforcement in Southern California. The raids by masked agents have stoked widespread fear in immigrant communities, and the man is the second person reported to have died in Southern California while trying to flee federal immigration enforcement authorities.

On Friday, a team of unmarked SUVS with tinted windows carrying Border Patrol agents sped up to a food stand outside a Home Depot location in Los Angeles. They hit the brakes and filed out with masked faces, some with camouflage uniforms and carrying M-4 rifles.

Agents had been doing surveillance on a Guatemalan woman who they said had a criminal background. A plainclothes agent approached the food stand to confirm it was her, and then the operation began. Bystanders sounded whistles and shouted profanities.

The team repeated the drill at a car wash in the nearby community of Montebello but with less resistance. Two workers were arrested there.

On Thursday in Monrovia, the California Highway Patrol said the man was running across the lanes of eastbound Interstate 210 when he was struck by an SUV traveling about 50 or 60 miles (80 or 97 kilometers) per hour.

The man’s name was not immediately released pending the notification of family. The CHP said the crash, and the circumstances surrounding why the man was on the freeway, are under investigation.

A vigil was planned for Friday by immigrant advocates, who denounced the widespread raids.

Feik said he did not have information about the immigration operation or whether anyone was arrested.

A spokesperson for the U.S. 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.

The spokesperson did not respond to questions about the operation.

The Trump administration has made arrests at Home Depot stores, car washes, garment factories and other locations, with many people held in immigration detention. Last month, a farmworker fell from a greenhouse roof during an immigration raid at a cannabis facility northwest of Los Angeles and died from his injuries.

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.

George Lane, a Home Depot spokesperson, said in an email that the company isn’t notified when immigration operations will take place and is not involved in them. Lane deferred questions to ICE.

___

Taxin contributed to this report from Santa Ana, California.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Kelly Clarkson's daytime show 'set to end following current season'

Is Kelly Clarkson’s Daytime Show Really Coming to an End? Here’s What We Know

After gracing television screens for over six years, The Kelly Clarkson Show…
Man stabbed, officer assaulted as fight breaks out after MLK Day parade in Los Angeles

Violence Erupts After Los Angeles MLK Day Parade: Man Stabbed, Officer Injured

A violent altercation erupted in Los Angeles during a parade celebrating Martin…
Florida triple murder of 3 tourists was 'senseless,' 'random,' sheriff says

Tragic Triple Homicide Near Magic Kingdom: Florida Repeat Offender’s Deadly Rampage Unveiled

A Florida man, accused of the tragic murder of three tourists near…
Judge and wife shot in broad daylight in Indiana, sparking massive multi-agency investigation

Shocking Daylight Shooting of Indiana Judge and Wife Triggers Major Multi-Agency Probe

A shooting incident on Sunday afternoon in Lafayette, Indiana, left a judge…
Kiara Jenkins killed in Woodlawn, Chicago shooting near 64th and Drexel while heading to Mt. Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church

Tragic Shooting in Woodlawn: Kiara Jenkins Fatally Shot En Route to Mt. Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church

CHICAGO (WLS) — The tight-knit community of a Woodlawn church is grappling…
Islanders grind out win over lowly Canucks in messy performance

Islanders Triumph in Grueling Battle Against Struggling Canucks: A Hard-Fought Victory

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Consider this victory a kind of psychological test…
Meghan's Series With Love, Meghan 'won't be returning to Netflix'

Meghan Markle’s ‘With Love, Meghan’ Series Not Renewed by Netflix

Meghan Markle’s much-publicized Netflix series is reportedly not set to return for…
Fernando Mendoza leads Indiana to national championship win

Fernando Mendoza Propels Indiana to Historic National Championship Victory

Fernando Mendoza delivered a breathtaking performance that secured Indiana its maiden National…