LOS ANGELES (KABC) — A South Los Angeles tow truck driver has been found not guilty of federal charges after being accused of towing a government vehicle used by ICE during an immigration arrest earlier this year.
Bobby Nuñez, 33, was charged with theft of government property and faced up to ten years in prison before a jury found him not guilty on Friday.
In a statement, the U.S. Attorney’s office said, “The trial lasted four days. The jury deliberated for more than three hours. We have no further comment.”
ORIGINAL REPORT: Federal agents arrest man accused of illegally towing government vehicle during immigration raid
The South L.A. man is accused of interfering with government officers by illegally towing their vehicle as they arrested a popular social media influencer.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released a video in September showing a rogue tow truck driver snatching an immigration agent’s government SUV in the middle of a raid in downtown L.A. in August.
The raid targeted a popular influencer, Tatiana Martinez, who was reportedly livestreaming the immigration enforcement activity to thousands on TikTok. The same video shows her being pulled from her car and arrested.
The popular social media influencer’s attorney believes she was targeted because she was using her platform with more than 47,000 followers to record and report ICE activity.
Federal immigration agents were sent scrambling when the tow truck operator took off with one of their vehicles as they were making the arrest.
Acting U.S. Attorney for Los Angeles Bilal “Bill” Essayli posted the video of the arrest to X, writing, “Apparently he thought it would be funny to interfere with our immigration enforcement operations. Now he can laugh behind bars while he faces justice.”
According to a news release from Essayli’s office, law enforcement officers used two vehicles to block Martinez’s vehicle and prevent her from escaping. The government vehicles reportedly had their emergency lights on.
During Martinez’s arrest, Nuñez reportedly pressed the passenger side door of her vehicle on an officer, who then threatened Martinez with arrest. After he was told what was happening, Essayli’s office said the man told them, “Something was going to happen.”
While officers addressed a second man accused of intervening with the arrest, Nuñez allegedly got into his tow truck and towed one of the government vehicles away. The keys were reportedly inside, in addition to a firearm locked in a safe.
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