A 15-year-old boy with disabilities was detained by federal agents at gunpoint on Monday in front of a high school, the Los Angeles Unified School District said.
The district said the confrontation happened Monday morning in front of Arleta High School when the teen and his grandmother were in a car while a relative registered at the school. Armed agents approached them with guns drawn, and surveillance footage captured from a nearby camera showed officers taking the teen into custody.
“It is disturbing, it is heartbreaking, it is reprehensible, it is unacceptable not only in our community but anywhere in America,” LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said.
The Superintendent said that an appropriate response was conducted in wake of the detainment, including a call to school police and having the school’s principal speak with the agents. Eventually, the teenager, who is a student at San Fernando High School, was released.
Carvalho said Monday’s incident was a case of mistaken identity since agents were looking for an adult man in the area.
In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security reiterated that agents were searching for a man near the school. It did not mention the agents detaining the teenager.
“Allegations that Border Patrol targeted Arleta High School are FALSE,” the department said in a social media post online. “Agents were conducting a targeted operation on criminal illegal alien Cristian Alexander Vasquez-Alvarenga—a Salvadoran national and suspected MS-13 pledge with prior criminal convictions in the broader vicinity of Arleta.”
With LAUSD beginning the school year on Thursday, the district said it’s taking steps to protect students and staff as federal operations continue in Los Angeles.
More than 1,000 employees will stand guard in “critical areas” that have been identified as such in wake of immigration activity. Community activists will help report federal operations near campuses to provide security for students who may be in danger. Emergency teams will also be deployed to escort students and families home.
For students who feel unsafe physically attending schools, LAUSD said virtual academies are an option. Parents and guardians can contact their children’s schools for information on how to enroll.
Source: NBC Los Angeles
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