WOODLAND, Calif. — The Department of Homeland Security is denying that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicle struck a Woodland resident Tuesday, contradicting the account of the injured man and local officials who gathered Wednesday to demand a full investigation into the incident and accountability for the federal agents involved.
Antonio Moreida, a former Yolo County employee who was injured during the encounter, appeared alongside Congressman Mike Thompson, Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry and other local elected officials at a news conference Wednesday, where speakers challenged the federal government’s explanation and called for cooperation with the Woodland Police Department’s investigation.
In a statement responding to the incident, DHS disputed that its vehicle struck Moreida, claiming instead that he jumped onto the hood of an ICE vehicle.
“An agitator jumped onto the hood of an ICE vehicle and the officer driving applied the brakes. The agitator slid off the hood. ICE immediately contacted EMS and the Woodland Police Department,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement reported by CBS Sacramento.
The spokesperson added, “Flopping for the camera is dangerous, especially when it interferes with a federal law enforcement operation.”
The federal account conflicts with statements from Moreida and local officials, who said an ICE-operated vehicle struck him during the operation. Video footage of the encounter has circulated publicly.
Thompson rejected the federal government’s explanation when a reporter asked him about the statement during Wednesday’s news conference.
“Well, what I have to say about that, I can’t really repeat in a mixed crowd,” Thompson said. “It’s just nonsense and you know it and I know it, the local police know it, our community knows it and they’re not going to get away with lying to our community. They’re not going to get away with lying to the American people.”
The Woodland Police Department is investigating the incident, and Yolo County District Attorney Melinda Aiello is closely following the situation, according to Thompson.
Thompson said he had spoken repeatedly with local law enforcement Tuesday, including a conversation with Woodland’s police chief late that evening.
“I feel very confident that they’re taking this seriously and they’re keeping us all in the loop,” Thompson said.
The congressman said he had contacted the acting director of ICE directly to demand answers and called for federal authorities to cooperate fully with the local investigation.
“We’re here to support a full investigation by our local law enforcement, and we’re here to demand that ICE fully cooperate with our local law enforcement and that they ensure that any individuals found to have engaged in misconduct or unlawful behavior are held fully accountable,” Thompson said.
Thompson also criticized the impact of federal immigration enforcement operations on public trust in law enforcement.
“Our community cannot be divided. It cannot be terrorized. It cannot have chaos injected,” he said.
Moreida, who attended the news conference despite his injuries, thanked Woodland residents and NorCal Resist for their support and said he wanted attention directed toward federal immigration enforcement practices rather than his personal experience.
“I’m not the only one that this has happened to,” Moreida said. “There are several incidents across the country, across the state of this reoccurring with no accountability whatsoever by DHS, by any of the agents as things stand.”
Moreida said he worked for Yolo County for 10 years before resigning in March because of a disability. He described his continued commitment to supporting the community and urged residents to connect with local rapid response organizations.
“I’m a former Yolo County employee for 10 years. I just had to resign from my position this past March due to my disability, but my love for my community and my, I don’t know, need to support them in whatever way possible has never gone away and never will go away,” he said.
Aguiar-Curry condemned the incident and called for an investigation by state and local authorities rather than relying exclusively on the federal government to examine its own conduct.
“I’m deeply concerned by the incident involving an ICE agent striking one of our neighbors with a vehicle here in Woodland, right here in Assembly District four,” Aguiar-Curry said.
“Our communities have every right to expect that having law enforcement in our communities makes us safer,” she said.
Aguiar-Curry said federal immigration enforcement practices were undermining relationships between residents and local law enforcement agencies.
“I expect a full investigation by local and state authorities because we can’t rely on this federal administration to investigate itself,” she said.
Yolo County Supervisor Angel Barajas, whose district includes Woodland, said he had requested an immediate investigation by Woodland police and a review of the evidence by the district attorney’s office.
Barajas said investigators should examine the available evidence and testimony before determining whether criminal charges are warranted.
He also raised questions about whether local law enforcement could take a more proactive role in monitoring federal immigration operations without interfering with federal officers.
Woodland Mayor Tom Stallard raised an additional allegation involving a vehicle that reportedly appeared outside Moreida’s home after he was taken to the hospital.
“Not only did the car swerve and hit him, it just kept on going,” Stallard said. “Didn’t even stop and help the person they had hit.”
Stallard alleged that a vehicle subsequently appeared across the street from Moreida’s residence.
“And then later when he was fortunate enough to be able to come home from the hospital, this car was across the street staking out his house,” Stallard said.
The allegation has not been independently established, and the identity of the vehicle’s occupants has not been confirmed.
When asked how federal agents could have located Moreida’s residence, Thompson said he had learned of the allegation only upon arriving at Wednesday’s event.
“Well, that’s something I just heard about today when we got here, but that is most certainly something that needs to be looked at and needs to be part of this investigation,” Thompson said.
Another attendee questioned whether automated license plate readers, including Flock Safety cameras, could have been used to identify Moreida’s address.
Thompson responded that California has laws governing the use of automated license plate readers and said federal authorities must comply with those restrictions. No evidence was presented at the news conference establishing that such technology had been used in connection with the incident.
Former Woodland Mayor Vicki Fernandez also disputed the federal government’s characterization, referring to publicly circulated video of the encounter.
“The truth matters,” Fernandez said. “The injustice that we saw with our own eyes with those videos cannot be distorted.”
Jesse Ortiz, speaking on behalf of the Latino community in Yolo County, denounced the ICE operation and expressed solidarity with immigrant families.
Representatives of Woodland Community College also attended, with Lisette Everett reaffirming the institution’s commitment to student privacy, educational access and constitutional rights.
Thompson said the incident had repercussions beyond Woodland, describing calls from constituents elsewhere in his congressional district who were concerned about federal immigration enforcement practices.
Yolo County Supervisor Lucas Frerichs, who attended the press conference, also condemned the incident, describing what he saw in videos as an apparent hit-and-run and calling for the possibility of criminal charges to be examined.
“I was appalled to see an unmarked ICE vehicle strike a fellow community member in Woodland yesterday. From the looks of the various video angles, it looks like a hit and run,” Frerichs said in a statement to the Vanguard following the event.
“I appreciate that Woodland PD is officially investigating the incident, and I am hopeful that the Yolo County District Attorney will consider pressing charges, as more of the situation is revealed.”
Frerichs also stressed the county’s responsibility to protect residents who have been harmed.
“One of the major responsibilities of Yolo County is caring for vulnerable populations, so when any of our residents are harmed, it is imperative that we stand up in support for those that have been harmed.”
No investigative finding establishing criminal responsibility was announced at Wednesday’s news conference.
Thompson said he would continue pressing federal authorities for answers while supporting the Woodland Police Department’s investigation.
“And as I said, the bottom line is no one is above the law,” Thompson said.
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