OAKLAND, Calif. – A recent federal immigration operation near an elementary school in West Oakland left neighbors rattled, and a pregnant mother without a car.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement said agents were targeting a man who drove off during an arrest near Hoover Elementary School and crashed into a parked vehicle, before running away.
Pregnant mom’s car totaled
Local perspective:
For Satima Flaherty, a social worker for children with disabilities, a normal day working from home turned into a nightmare when her car was totaled in the ICE operation.
“I’m still trying to figure out how the hell am I going to be able to get a new set of wheels, because I need a car for my job,” she said.
The crash happened around 9 a.m. Wednesday at the intersection of 31st Street and West Street, and was captured on neighborhood security cameras.
Video shows a Dodge Charger speeding through the intersection. Tires on the Charger can be heard screeching and then slamming into Flaherty’s parked vehicle. Then a man is seen running away moments later. A minute later, an unmarked car with federal agents arrived to inspect the Dodge Charger.
“When I came outside, I saw who he was running from,” Flaherty said.
Flaherty said the agents did not clearly identify themselves, though their military green uniforms bore small patches labeled “ICE.”
“I said, ‘You know who’s responsible for this?’ He told me OPD,” she said, which later sent an officer to take a report.
The Department of Homeland Security said last week that the man being pursued was Gonzalo Ramirez Martez, described as a “serial criminal” with multiple violent arrests, including domestic violence.
However, a man identifying himself as “Rodriguez” told KTVU in a previous interview that he was the driver and that he fled after agents pointed a gun at him while he sat in his car outside his home.
“You never know if they’re going to shoot you,” he said.
As of Thursday, ICE had not detained the man involved.
Who’s at fault?
What they’re saying:
The operation sparked concern among residents and parents of Hoover Elementary students.
Councilmember Carroll Fife condemned the federal agents’ tactics, saying such operations often cause unnecessary harm and fear in the community.
Fife said DHS is responsible for the hit-and-run that damaged Flaherty’s car.
Know your rights during ICE activity
Monique Berlanga, executive director of Centro Legal de la Raza, talks local response to West Oakland immigration activity near Hoover Elementary.
Neighbor Alma Munoz shared video of herself using a whistle to warn others that armed agents were in the area.
“Seeing agents with big weapons on your block, it’s different,” Munoz said.
Fife and the nonprofit Moms for Housing helped Flaherty secure a rental car, while community members raised nearly $7,000 through GoFundMe to help her replace her vehicle.
What’s next:
“That’s not where it ends, because there has to be some justice,” Fife said.
Flaherty said she plans to file a complaint with DHS over how the operation was handled.
An ICE spokesperson could not be reached for comment on Monday.