Federal immigration authorities in Los Angeles arrested a tow truck driver accused of stealing a government vehicle during an arrest operation, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
The incident took place on August 15 at the Da Vinci Apartments in downtown Los Angeles, where officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the U.S. Marshals Service were detaining a 23-year-old woman from Colombia suspected of living in the country illegally.
According to court documents, officers had boxed in the woman’s car with two government vehicles to prevent her from leaving when a 33-year-old tow truck driver from South Los Angeles approached. The affidavit states that as an ICE officer attempted to arrest the woman, the man pressed her car door onto the officer.
“Police, get back,” the ICE officer warned, adding: “You’re going to get arrested.” The affidavit also says that after being told by a U.S. Marshal that a federal investigation was underway, the man began swearing at them and warned, “Something was going to happen” to them.
Prosecutors allege that after another individual tried to intervene in the arrest, the tow truck driver entered his vehicle and began towing away one of the officers’ unmarked cars, which had its emergency lights activated. An Instagram video shared by federal authorities shows a gray government vehicle with flashing lights being towed out of the complex while an officer follows on foot.
The affidavit notes that “the ICE officer chased the tow truck on foot, and could see (the man) laughing and recording him on (his) cellular phone.” The pursuit ended when the tow truck turned onto another street.
At the time it was taken, prosecutors say there were keys inside and a firearm secured in a safe within the government vehicle. Authorities did not specify whether they recovered the car but reported finding the suspect’s tow truck parked at Da Vinci Apartments two days later.
If convicted of theft of government property, federal prosecutors say he could face up to 10 years in prison.
Information about his legal representation was not available as of September 2.
