Add The California Post on Google A young Glendale man seen screaming for his mother while immigration officers took him into custody Wednesday has a long criminal rap sheet, The California Post has learned.
The man, identified as Colombian illegal immigrant Michael Steven Arias-Villanueva, has numerous charges on his record, including burglary, grand theft and organized retail theft, the Department of Homeland Security told The Post.
“On July 29, CBP arrested Michael Steven Arias-Villanueva, a criminal illegal alien from Colombia, during a targeted operation in Glendale, California,” the DHS said. “This illegal alien’s criminal history includes charges for Burglary, Grand Theft, Organized Retail Theft, Theft, Receiving Known Stolen Property, Conspiracy to Commit Crime, and Driving Without a License.”
The Trump administration said that Arias-Villanueva resisted arrest during the operation, which happened around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday in the area of the 400 block of West Glenoaks Blvd. It’s unclear if anyone else was arrested or if they were after Arias-Villanueva specifically.
Arias-Villanueva, 21, resisted arrest and “refused to comply with lawful commands from law enforcement officers,” according to DHS.
The man is seen in the video screaming for help in Spanish while struggling with two masked officers.
“Mama,” he’s heard screaming. “Ayudame (help me).”
Bystanders are seen trying to intervene with the arrest, but the officers yelled that they may be arrested if they interfere.
Other officers eventually arrive, and the two officers place the man in a white SUV.
Arias-Villanueva is currently being held at the Desert View ICE facility in Adelanto, California, according to ICE records.
The DHS said Border Patrol previously encountered the man in 2024, but he was released into the country by the Biden administration.
“Border Patrol encountered Arias-Villanueva near El Paso, Texas, on January 11, 2024, and he was RELEASED into the country by the Biden administration. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings,” they wrote.
“Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, ICE is targeting the worst of the worst. Nearly 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S.,” they added.
A witness at the scene interviewed by KTLA, Girik Issaian, said the arrest occurred right outside his home.
“I’m sad, heartbroken,” the man said. “He’s a kid, asking me for help and my hands is tied I can’t go help him.”
“He was begging for help. That’s all. A kid for begging for help,” he added.
A street photographer who took video of the arrest said in an Instagram caption: “Turn the volume up so the people around you can hear this.”
An entry on a website called stopice.net warned of an “ice kidnapping” in the area of Arias-Villanueva’s arrest. The website posts the locations and times of ICE operations.
Celebrity chef Jose Andres blasted Arias-Villanueva’s arrest on X.
“As America celebrates 250 years of freedom, we should all be asking ourselves: who are the masked people handcuffing individuals on our streets without identifying themselves or being held accountable? A free society demands transparency, due process, and accountability—not anonymous power,” he wrote.
Immigration operations in SoCal have been ongoing, with local Democratic officials and immigration advocates condemning any activity in the area.
Federal immigration agents detained as many as 11 people during a series of early morning raids in upscale California beach enclave Santa Barbara on Father’s Day last month.
Among those taken into custody were three mariachi musicians encountered near San Pascual and Mulberry streets in the early hours, according to activists.
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