Two Women Found Guilty of Stalking ICE Agent During LA Protests

Two women were convicted Friday for stalking an ICE agent in Los Angeles, a case stemming from protests that erupted last summer.

Cynthia Raygoza and Ashleigh Brown, both 38, were found guilty after a trial that revealed their actions during anti-immigration enforcement demonstrations in August.

On August 28, the pair followed the agent from a federal building to his residence, live-streaming the entire episode on social media while providing viewers with directions to his home, as detailed in court.

They urged their audience to share the live stream, which was presented as evidence during the trial, according to First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli.

The agent, identified as Rogelio Reyes Huitzilin, recounted to jurors that he was on his way home to surprise his wife and two young children when he spotted the masked women. “I just wanted to be with my family,” he said, as reported by The Los Angeles Times.

Upon reaching his home, the women shouted to bystanders while streaming live, declaring that their “neighbor is ICE” and “la migra lives here,” alarming the local community.

Essayli noted that they also hurled racial slurs at Huitzilin’s family, with his children witnessing the harassment.

Huitzilin testified that since the incident, his family has lived in fear, prompting them to relocate from their neighborhood. He mentioned that one of his sons requested homeschooling and that his wife required therapy due to the stress caused by the event.

Interestingly, he later acknowledged that no further protests occurred at his residence after that day and that he had not encountered Raygoza or Brown again.

Both women were convicted of one count of stalking but acquitted of conspiring to publish personal information about a federal employee. They were charged alongside a third woman, Sandra Samane, who was acquitted of all charges.

During their week-long trial, Raygoza and Brown claimed they believed they were tracking the agent to an ICE raid rather than his home, as reported by The Times.

This incident marks a notable escalation in tactics used by protesters who have been known to follow ICE and Border Patrol agents to enforcement sites across cities like Los Angeles. However, this appears to be the first documented case of a federal agent being confronted at home.

Essayli expressed gratitude towards the jury for holding the women accountable for their actions that endangered the safety of Huitzilin and his family. “Peaceful protests are protected by the Constitution; political violence and unlawful intimidation are not,” he stated.

Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles have pursued over 100 cases against protesters accused of assaulting or obstructing immigration agents. Despite achieving 23 guilty pleas, they had previously lost every case brought to trial until this conviction.

Raygoza and Brown now face a maximum sentence of five years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for June 8.