SANTA MARIA, Calif. — A 20-year-old U.S. citizen with disabilities was allegedly injured by federal immigration agents while walking to school in Santa Maria on Oct. 21, suffering a fractured wrist, a black eye and cuts in an encounter that has prompted local authorities to review whether criminal conduct occurred.
According to Noozhawk, the student, identified as Zepeda, was stopped by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents approximately half a mile from his high school campus.
Zepeda subsequently arrived at school with visible injuries, prompting administrators to summon an ambulance. He was transported to a local hospital, where he underwent surgery for a wrist injury, according to KEYT News.
ICE acknowledged detaining an individual in Santa Maria that morning but disputed the account of excessive force and the reported injuries.
In an emailed statement to Noozhawk, an ICE spokesperson denied that the encounter resulted in broken bones, alleging that the “individual resisted officers, refused lawful commands, and assumed a fighting stance with clenched fists.”
The agency said the individual was released after agents confirmed his identity.
Zepeda disputed that account, maintaining that he complied with the agents and did nothing to justify their use of force, according to Los Cerritos Community News.
According to Noozhawk, Zepeda repeatedly told agents, “You’re hurting me,” after being handcuffed and before being placed inside a federal vehicle.
Zepeda said agents approached him wearing clothing marked “POLICE” and “ICE” but did not identify themselves or display badges during the encounter, according to KEYT News.
He also told Your News Channel that he had identification in his wallet but that agents never requested it before detaining him.
According to KEYT News, agents questioned Zepeda while he was restrained inside their vehicle and drove him around the block before returning him to the area where he had been stopped.
The encounter occurred near Broadway and Enos Drive at approximately 7:20 a.m.
Agents reportedly believed Zepeda matched the description of someone they were seeking during an immigration enforcement operation in the area.
Glenn Goldin, a former Santa Maria High School special education teacher who taught and mentored Zepeda for two years, said he was horrified when he learned what had happened.
Goldin told Noozhawk that helping Zepeda develop the confidence to travel independently to school had required substantial time and effort.
“For me, as a special education teacher, it’s triply horrifying because it took us a year to convince him that he could walk to school by himself, that he didn’t have to get in a shitty yellow school bus that made him feel different,” Goldin said.
Goldin described Zepeda as having an unusual gait and difficulty expressing himself verbally, circumstances he said could have made the encounter with federal agents particularly frightening.
According to Goldin, Zepeda lives in a group home and had worked toward greater independence, including walking to school without assistance.
Goldin said Zepeda “couldn’t protect himself when agents allegedly tackled him to the ground.”
“He really did think they were going to kill him,” Goldin told Noozhawk.
The incident has prompted scrutiny from local authorities over whether the agents’ conduct warrants further investigation.
According to an Oct. 28 news release from the city of Santa Maria, Police Chief Christopher Williams contacted the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office, the California Attorney General’s Office and ICE’s Los Angeles office following the incident.
Santa Barbara County District Attorney John Savrnoch said his office was reviewing the matter and communicating with the Santa Maria Police Department but had not received a formal request for criminal charges.
The California Attorney General’s Office was also made aware of the incident, although it had not confirmed whether a formal investigation had been opened.
The incident raises questions about the legal authority of local and state officials to investigate alleged criminal conduct by federal immigration agents.
California’s Senate Bill 54, known as the California Values Act, generally restricts the use of state and local law enforcement resources to assist federal immigration enforcement.
However, California Government Code Section 7284.6(f) preserves the ability of state and local law enforcement agencies to investigate criminal conduct, including alleged misconduct by federal immigration officers.
The provision distinguishes between assisting federal immigration enforcement and investigating potential violations of state criminal law.
As of the city’s Oct. 28 announcement, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office was reviewing the encounter, while the California Attorney General’s Office had not announced a formal investigation.
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