A Los Angeles Latino Family Left in Fear After Federal Agents Arrest a US Citizen and Drive Away With His Toddler

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The parking lot of a Home Depot in Los Angeles became the site of an unsettling arrest when heavily armed federal agents detained a 32-year-old US citizen and then drove away in his car with his toddler still in the backseat. The scene unfolded on a Tuesday morning in the city’s Cypress Park neighborhood and has renewed scrutiny of immigration enforcement tactics that leave families in anguish.

A Family Searching for Answers

According to The Guardian, the man was detained during a major operation led by the Department of Homeland Security. Authorities said five undocumented immigrants were also arrested that morning. Hours later, the man’s mother, Maria Avalos, received a call from an unfamiliar number. On the line were federal agents, instructing her to come to an immigration office in downtown Los Angeles to retrieve her granddaughter.

At a press conference the following day, Avalos described waiting for hours before being allowed to take custody of the one-year-old. She said she had to present the baby’s birth certificate before they released her. The toddler appeared frightened and disoriented, unaware of what had happened to her father. Avalos said the family has not been informed where her son is being held or when they might speak with him.

The arrest was captured on video by bystanders and first reported by The Los Angeles Times. The footage shows masked agents (per usual) surrounding the man, forcing him to the ground, and then entering his vehicle. One agent can be seen holding a gun as they drive away with the child still inside.

@latimes

Federal immigration agents detained a man in Cypress Park on Tuesday whose toddler was strapped into the back seat of his vehicle, according to video shared with The Times. After two agents climbed into his car — along with their weapons — they drove off with the child as onlookers protested. The 32-year-old man who was detained during the enforcement operation at a Home Depot was a U.S. citizen, according to an immigration lawyer who spoke with his family. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told The Times on Tuesday night that the man allegedly “exited his vehicle wielding a hammer and threw rocks at law enforcement while he had a child in his car.”

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What the DHS Is Saying

In its official account, the Department of Homeland Security claimed the man had exited his vehicle carrying a hammer and had thrown rocks at agents while his daughter remained in the car. Officials said a pistol reported stolen in New York was found inside and that the man had an active warrant related to property damage. However, the agency did not explain why its agents chose to drive away with the toddler rather than wait for a family member to arrive.

Avalos said the family could not respond to the accusations until they find a lawyer and have the chance to speak with her son. She said she believes his appearance and the color of his skin influenced how agents treated him. Watching the video, she said, filled her with sorrow as she saw her son fall to the ground in a desperate attempt to stop them from taking his daughter. She described it as a moment of fear and instinct, a father trying to protect the child he loves.

Federal Agents and Children

Advocates have pointed to similar arrests in which children have been left unattended or separated from their parents without warning. Earlier this year in Massachusetts, a 13-year-old was found wandering the streets after an immigration raid. In southern California, another father was detained at a gas station, leaving behind a 19-year-old and a younger sibling with no clear instructions about what to do.

Jorge-Mario Cabrera, spokesperson for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, said the case reflects a growing disregard for the human cost of immigration enforcement. He said that what happened to this family represents a loss of basic compassion that should alarm the entire community.

A Grandmother’s Plea

Avalos said her son had recently begun a new job in the restaurant industry and that his life revolved around his daughter. She described him as quiet and hardworking, someone who valued family above all. Her granddaughter, now back home, continues to ask for her father.

Avalos said the ordeal has shaken her to the core and that each day feels uncertain without knowing where her son is or when he will return. She said she has faith he will come home but remains haunted by the sight of agents driving away with the child.

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