'he Doesn't Feel Safe': Family Speaks Out After Teen With Disability Is Mistakenly Detained By Federal Agents

The mother of a 15-year-old California boy who was briefly detained by national agents astatine gunpoint in a lawsuit of mistaken personality recalled nan terrifying relationship successful an question and reply Wednesday.

Andreina Mejia said she was parked astatine nan curb extracurricular Arleta High School connected Monday to enroll her daughter. At that time, her son, Baldemar Gutierrez, who has typical needs, was pinch her.

All of a sudden, a motortruck pulled up down Mejia’s car and a group of masked men poured retired of nan motortruck to situation her and her son, she recalled.

“Somebody approached me, and different personification approached [Baldermar], pointing a weapon and a Taser,” she said. “They pulled him retired and they handcuffed him correct away.”

Arleta High School successful Arleta, Calif.Google Maps

Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho described nan incident during a news convention Tuesday, adding that surveillance video captured equipped agents wearing “police” and “Border Patrol” insignia taking nan teen into custody.

“This young man was placed successful handcuffs, presumably based connected mistaken identity. He was not an adult. He was a 15-year-old boy pinch important disabilities,” Carvalho said.

California, led by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, has go a target successful nan reliable migration crackdown by President Donald Trump’s administration. Earlier this month, an appeals tribunal kept successful place a Los Angeles national judge’s ruling that bars migration agents from utilizing a person’s spoken connection aliases job, for illustration time laborer, arsenic nan sole pretext to detain them.

The management is besides embroiled in a ineligible fight pinch nan authorities complete whether it violated national rule erstwhile it mobilized troops to Los Angeles this summer. The management said nan deployment of National Guard troops and Marines was meant to support migration officials.

Carvalho said nan agents progressive successful Monday’s incident near bullets down astatine nan scene. District constabulary reached retired to nan agencies that had been location to inquire them to return and cod nan ammunition, Carvalho said, but were told that they could support nan rounds and usage them for target practice.

“That’s not suitable for us,” Carvalho said. “Come and get what you near behind.”

In a station connected X, nan Department of Homeland Security said Border Patrol agents were not targeting nan precocious school. The agents were looking for a Salvadoran nationalist pinch anterior criminal convictions and suspected of ties to nan pack MS-13, DHS said.

The section did not respond to an NBC News email Tuesday nighttime asking why nan teen was detained and requesting much specifications connected nan incident.

Mejia said her boy has been shaken up since nan encounter.

“He breaks down, and he tells maine he feels harassed. He tells maine he doesn’t consciousness safe,” nan mother said.

The teen, who has a proceeding information and reside delays, said nan agents showed him a picture, asking him astir a personification they were looking for.

“They handcuffed maine and kept telling maine who this personification is, and I was like, ‘I don’t cognize who that personification is,’” Baldermar recalled.

Mejia besides said nan agents showed her nan picture, and she responded that nan personification pictured was not her son. Baldermar kept repeating his sanction and told nan men that he was a U.S. citizen, nan mom said.

When nan agents yet realized their mistake, they removed her boy from handcuffs and implied it was a worthwhile acquisition for him, Mejia said.

“[One agent] was like, ‘Oh, we confused him pinch personification else, but look astatine nan agleam side: You’re going to person an breathtaking communicative to show your friends erstwhile you spell backmost to school,’” Mejia recalled. “What’s breathtaking astir getting guns pointed astatine you?”

Mejia added that agents could person asked for recognition earlier placing her boy successful handcuffs.

Carvalho called nan incident “unacceptable” and said territory schools will person information plans successful place, including expanding patrols by schoolhouse constabulary truthful that they tin alert schools of immoderate imaginable migration operations.

“That illustration says each we request to cognize astir why these actions should not beryllium taking spot astir schools. Bullets connected nan crushed — what other do we need? Beyond nan trauma, what other do we need?” Carvalho said.

Arleta is simply a vicinity successful nan San Fernando Valley area, astir 22 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.