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The Federal Jury filed charges against two Southern California residents last month with accusations of allegedly assaulting a federal officer during an anti-immigration enforcement protest outside a federal building in downtown Los Angeles, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday.
Erin Petra Escobar, 34, of Los Angeles’ Palms area, is being charged with felony attacks on a federal officer or employee and misdemeanor counts of looting government property. Nick Elias Gutierrez, 20, of Hawthorne, faces two felony counts. One causes physical injuries due to assault on a federal officer or employee, and the other causes physical injuries due to attack on a federal officer or employee.
The indictment alleges that on July 17, a small group of protesters gathered outside the Edward R. Roybal Federal Construction and the US court to protest recent immigration enforcement efforts. Court documents allege that Escobar was found to use permanent markers to write federal property and damage it. As officers approached her to restrain her, Gutierrez allegedly grabbed the officer’s bulletproof vest strap and rocked him. During the struggle to detain Gutierrez, an officer dislocated his left ring finger.
Escobar and Gutierrez were eventually arrested. Prosecutors say Escobar was allegedly spitted in one of the officers’ face while being transported to nearby holding cells.
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Both defendants are scheduled to be arrested on August 15th in US District Court in Los Angeles. Currently, it’s free on $5,000 bonds.
If convicted, Escobar will face the maximum statutory sentence of eight years in federal prison for attack and up to one year on resignation. Gutierrez faces up to 20 years for the attack, with up to eight years for injuries and assault charges.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Protection Services is investigating the case being charged by the Department of Justice’s General Crimes section.
The indictment includes allegations, and both defendants are presumed to be innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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