An incident outside a Los Angeles Home Depot on Tuesday, which led to a father being detained and his toddler held by federal agents, has sparked controversy and concern from local groups. According to CBS LA, U.S. citizen Dennis Quinonez was apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with officials claiming he had thrown rocks at law enforcement and brandished a hammer during a nearby immigration operation. DHS also stated a stolen pistol was found in his car.
The Los Angeles Rapid Response Network (LARRN), a local organization that monitors immigration enforcement, informed FOX 11 that the arrest occurred near the Dodger Stadium parking lot, raising suspicion and distress in the community on Election Day. Video footage of the incident captured Customs and Border Protection agents driving away with Quinonez's 2-year-old daughter, still strapped in the car seat. The child was detained for four hours until her grandmother, Maria Avalos, could produce a birth certificate verifying their relationship.
The Department of Homeland Security's stance, as detailed in a Homeland Security X Post tweet and reported by Homeland Security X Post, emphasized their refusal to apologize for enforcing the law, outlining that the operation also resulted in the arrest of five individuals from Mexico and Guatemala with histories including DUI and previous removal from the United States.
LARRN issued a strong denunciation of the federal presence in LA, stating, "The presence of masked federal agents is meant to cause chaos, threaten our entire community, and ultimately suppress our right to vote." They regarded the detainment of the man and his infant as indicative of the crass, and cruel nature of the racially motivated, random snatchings taking place in our neighborhoods. Quinonez is purportedly being held pending charges, with a previous plea of no contest to a misdemeanor vandalism charge adding to his legal complications, as mentioned by the CBS LA report.
Following the event, LARRN has been active in trying to locate the man and his child, urging anyone with information to contact them through their hotline. The situation remains a point of tension in the community, as the DHS continues to defend its actions amidst public outcry over the treatment of Quinonez and his daughter during the operation.
