Food vendors at the food stall were seen clinging to the tree as federal immigrant agents detained her at Ladera Heights.
On June 23, Areca Le Blanc said he found several masked agents grabbing women while selling food outside the Home Depot store.
Le Blanc immediately walked over to his agent and asked for his identity, but was ignored.
She said the agent refused to identify herself or provide evidence of a warrant for the woman’s arrest. When they grab the woman, she clings to the tree so that it won’t be taken away.
Several more bystanders approach the group, demanding that the officers let her go. The woman was eventually handcuffed and detained.
“She was calm and quiet, just resilient,” Le Blanc told KTLA’s Elina Abobian. “She grabbed the tree, but in the end they were able to tear her and push her arms behind her back.”
Food vendors at the food stall cling to the tree before being detained by Ladera Heights immigration agents on June 23, 2025. The bystanders were screaming at the agents to identify themselves. (@aleca72) Food vendors at the food stall cling to the tree before being detained by Ladera Heights immigration agents on June 23, 2025. The bystanders were screaming at the agents to identify themselves. (@aleca72) Food vendors at the food stall cling to the tree before being detained by Ladera Heights immigration agents on June 23, 2025. The bystanders were screaming at the agents to identify themselves. (@aleca72) Food vendors at the food stall cling to the tree before being detained by Ladera Heights immigration agents on June 23, 2025. The bystanders were screaming at the agents to identify themselves. (@aleca72) Food vendors at the food stall cling to the tree before being detained by Ladera Heights immigration agents on June 23, 2025. The bystanders were screaming at the agents to identify themselves. (@aleca72)
Le Blanc said the agents were armed and pushed the woman into an unmarked SUV. Some of the best of the agents appeared to have Border Patrol insignia. As heard bystanders scream, “They’re luring her!” agents reportedly threw tear gas at the group before they could drive.
“These people throw three canisters of tear gas at the five people who were standing,” Le Blanc said.
The street food vendor was later identified as Serena Vanessa Hernandez Ramirez, 25, from El Salvador. She is also reportedly the mother of a five-year-old boy.
“It’s here whether she has a criminal history or not. [agents] I didn’t even know who she was.
KTLA contacted the U.S. Department of Homeland Security regarding details of Ramirez’s case and whether she was charged with anything and was waiting for a response.
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