Arleta teen recollects being mistakenly detained by federal brokers – NBC Los Angeles
The mom of a 15-year-old boy who was briefly detained by federal brokers at gunpoint in a case of mistaken id recalled the terrifying interplay in an interview Wednesday.
Andreina Meija stated she was parked on the curb outdoors Arleta Excessive Faculty on Monday to enroll her daughter. At the moment, her son, Baldemar Gutierrez, with particular wants was together with her.
The entire sudden, a truck pulled up behind Meija’s automobile, and a bunch of masked males poured out the automobile to encompass her and her son, Meija recalled.
“Any individual approached me, and one other individual approached (Baldermar), pointing a gun and a taser,” she described. “They pulled him out (of the automobile), and so they handcuffed him instantly.”
The Los Angeles Unified Faculty District additionally confirmed the incident, including surveillance video footage captured armed brokers taking the teenager into custody.
Meija stated her son has been shaken up for the reason that encounter with Border Patrol brokers.
“He breaks down, and he tells me he feels harassed. He tells me he doesn’t really feel secure,” the mom stated.
The 15-year-old boy, who has a listening to situation and speech delays, stated the brokers confirmed him an image, asking him about an individual they had been on the lookout for.
“They handcuffed me and saved telling me who this individual is, and I used to be like I do not know who that individual is,” Baldermar recalled.
Meija additionally stated the brokers confirmed her the image, and she or he responded the individual within the image was not her son.
Baldermar saved repeating his identify and advised the lads that he was a U.S. citizen, the mother stated.
When the brokers lastly realized their mistake, they eliminated her son from handcuffs and alluded it’s a worthwhile expertise
“(One agent) was like, ‘Oh, we confused him with someone else, however have a look at the intense aspect. You’re going to have an thrilling story to inform your pals while you return to highschool,’” Meija described. “What’s thrilling about getting weapons pointed at you?”
The Division of Homeland Safety stated in an announcement that Border Patrol brokers weren’t concentrating on the highschool, and the brokers had been conducting an operation, on the lookout for a Salvadorian nationwide suspected of prison convictions with ties with MS-13.
“They might have requested for identification earlier than doing all of that, however they did all that. Then they began asking, ‘Oh, who’re you?’” Meija stated.
Los Angeles Unified Faculty District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho known as the incident “unacceptable” and stated district colleges can have security plans in place, together with growing patrols by faculty police in order that they’ll alert colleges of any potential immigration operations.
