


Out of 575 arrests made in connection with the anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement riots in Los Angeles that started earlier this month, to date, the district attorney’s office has only confirmed that a dozen or so suspects have been criminally charged.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, an independent, announced last week that more than a dozen defendants were charged with crimes tied to the anti-ICE uprisings, following numerous nights of rioting, rampant looting, vandalism, and violence against immigration enforcement agents.
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However, as of Monday, Hochman’s office indicated to the Washington Examiner that more charges may come.
A public information specialist previously said prosecutors are reviewing arrests on a case-by-case basis to decide whether to bring criminal charges.
“Cases are being presented to our office for filing consideration and prosecutors are determining whether cases should be filed, declined or referred to other agencies in accordance with the law,” the spokesperson told the Washington Examiner. “At this time, we are gathering information about how many protest-related cases have been filed with our office and will provide details when we have them.”
WILL LA PROTECT THOSE ARRESTED IN THE RIOTS?
At a Wednesday news conference held at the Hall of Justice judicial center, Hochman highlighted five of the cases filed so far.
Juan Rodriguez, 47, of Gardena, California, is facing three felony counts for assault upon a peace officer, resisting arrest, and advocating violence against an officer, causing injury. On the evening of June 8, Rodriguez allegedly passed out commercial-grade fireworks to a group of rioters who ignited them and threw the projectiles at patrolling police officers. Rodriguez is also accused of launching the fireworks himself at officers, one of whom was injured by burning sparks emitted from the exploding device. If convicted as charged, Rodriguez could be sentenced to as long as six years and four months in state prison.
Randy Paul Ruiz, 27, and Georgina Ravellero, 24, are both charged with two felony counts of assault upon a peace officer. Ruiz is accused of driving a motorcycle into a police skirmish line on June 8. Minutes later, Ravellero allegedly drove another motorcycle into the line of officers, injuring one and knocking over several others. Ruiz and Ravellero each face up to six years and four months behind bars.
Ulysses Sanchez, 37, of Los Angeles, is charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon and felony possession of a firearm by a felon in addition to misdemeanor counts of reckless driving and possession of a smoking device. On the night of June 8, Sanchez allegedly recklessly drove a minivan directly toward protesters who then threw rocks and other items at the vehicle as he repeatedly drove in circles before speeding away. Upon apprehension, sheriff’s deputies allegedly found a loaded “ghost gun” and a methamphetamine pipe in Sanchez’s possession. Sanchez faces a maximum of 25 years to life incarceration.
Christopher Gonzalez, 26, of Van Nuys, California, and Yoselyn Johnson, 40, of Los Angeles, are both charged with one felony count of conspiracy to commit vandalism and two felony counts of vandalism. Gonzalez is accused of vandalizing an apartment complex while Johnson allegedly acted as a lookout on the evening of June 9. About an hour later, Gonzalez allegedly painted graffiti on the Hall of Justice’s exterior while Johnson looked on. They each face up to three years and eight months in state prison to be served in county jail.
Timmie Paulk, 29, and Raven Mitchell, 25, both of Los Angeles, are each charged with felony second-degree commercial burglary and felony grand theft. On the night of June 8, Paulk allegedly stole merchandise from a Nike store being looted by a group of rioters while Mitchell served as the getaway driver. After allegedly fleeing, they were arrested a short time later. If convicted, Paulk and Mitchell each face a maximum three-year state prison sentence to be served in county jail.
“I fiercely support the right to peacefully protest and to free speech, but my office will also fiercely prosecute those who decide to cross a line into criminal conduct,” Hochman said in a press release announcing the charges. “We will protect those who hurl insults; we will prosecute those who hurl bricks, cinderblocks or fireworks at officers. An attack on our officers or on public or private property is an attack on all of us, and such criminals will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Additional cases are still under consideration, per the district attorney’s press release. In some cases, people were arrested, cited, and released. Those cases, however, have not yet been presented to prosecutors, according to Hochman’s office. The cases remain under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the California Highway Patrol.
LAPD officials announced Monday that there will be no more riot-related updates provided after Sunday ended with no arrests. The police department remains on citywide tactical alert.
Since June 7, LAPD officers have arrested hundreds of alleged rioters on charges including attempted murder with a Molotov cocktail and assaults on police officers.
Ten officers suffered injuries over the course of crowd-control operations, and five LAPD horses, which serve in the police force’s Mounted Platoon, were targeted and injured, according to the agency.
LAPD personnel are continuing to review body-worn police footage and will work with prosecutorial partners to seek appropriate charges. A police oversight division, the LAPD’s Professional Standards Bureau, will also be investigating allegations of excessive force and other claims concerning law enforcement actions during the demonstrations.
Police units deployed tear gas, a typical dispersal tactic and less-lethal munition, to quell the mob violence. According to authorities, activist organizers used handheld radios to coordinate movement and evade law enforcement. Some of the standoffs lasted hours.
In response to ICE’s crackdown on illegal immigration in Los Angeles, Hochman issued a statement noting that “immigration enforcement is under federal jurisdiction and not within the authority of our office.”
“Let me be clear: Our office does not prosecute people for their immigration status,” Hochman said.
Hochman said his office recognizes “the real and profound impact these operations have on the trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement.”
The LAPD has also made a point to distance itself from federal immigration enforcement.
To abate concerns among immigrants unlawfully residing in the city, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell stressed that the city’s police officers are not authorized, pursuant to department policy, to assist in deportation efforts.
“I’m aware that these actions cause anxiety for many Angelenos, so I want to make it clear: the LAPD is not involved in civil immigration enforcement,” McDonnell said in a statement. “While the LAPD will continue to have a visible presence in all our communities to ensure public safety, we will not assist or participate in any sort of mass deportations, nor will the LAPD try to determine an individual’s immigration status.”
In 1979, the LAPD implemented a policy effectively protecting “undocumented aliens” against the threat of law enforcement detection. Under Special Order 40, officers are prohibited from initiating police action for the sole purpose of determining a person’s immigration status. Accordingly, LAPD officers cannot make arrests for violations of U.S. immigration law.
Two days into the anti-ICE uprisings, McDonnell claimed that the protests remained peaceful.
Federal law enforcement officials, meanwhile, are ramping up prosecutions of rioters despite Democratic pushback.
HERE’S WHO ICE ARRESTED BEFORE PROTESTS BROKE OUT IN LOS ANGELES
Last week, the U.S. Justice Department began rapidly filing federal charges, with an internal directive sent Thursday to all 94 U.S. attorneys ordering prosecutors to prioritize charges against rioters who destroy property or assault law enforcement and accordingly publicize these cases to deter further unrest.
In Los Angeles alone, the DOJ has federally charged at least 14 defendants, including a man accused of distributing “Bionic Shield” face masks to suspected rioters. Alejandro Theodoro Orellana is accused of conspiring to commit civil disorder by supplying such protective gear.