New footage recorded by surveillance cameras from the juice bar shows a different angle of the moment he detained a 20-year-old man accused of interfering with a operation in a Walmart parking lot in Pico Rivera.
Adrian Martinez, a US citizen working at the Walmart in question, was taken into custody by federal agents on Tuesday morning and performed surgery at the Pico Rivera Town Center. His detention sparked protests in the city, with community members simultaneously sought his release and condemning the attack.
A new video, shot with surveillance cameras from Aguas Tijuana’s Juice Bar, shows several border patrol trucks driving the shopping plaza first. Seconds later, a construction worker in the parking lot escapes, and soon after, a maintenance worker is seen chasing by the agent of the marked vehicle.
Eventually, the maintenance worker is taken into custody and placed behind the border patrol. That’s when I saw Martinez being pulled up in a black car. Two other vehicles are seen surrounding the Border Patrol truck as they see the words of exchange between agents and Martinez. The agents are then seen pushing Mullins into the ground.
The young man’s mother said he is currently in custody in downtown Los Angeles.
“Now they want to push the accusations on him and everything, but is there a way they treated him and treated him? Martinez’s mother, Myra Villarreal, said.
Villareal said he believes his son was involved because he cares for others. She said she was likely worried when she saw the maintenance worker being detained and decided to intervene.
Pico Rivera officials will deal with the arrest of the man by immigration agents outside of Walmart. The video aired on NBC4 News on Tuesday, June 17th, 2025 at 5pm.
“Adrian, he’s always a kid like a kid who likes to help people,” Villarreal said. “I think it’s an instinct because he’s a kind person, but it still doesn’t give them the right to treat them the way they did.”
US lawyer Bill Essayli said Martinez was arrested for obstructing the operation.
“At one point, he punched his agent in the face. That’s why he was arrested,” he said. “During his arrest, he resisted and needed multiple agents using his strength to arrest him.”
He added that the Mullins case could be used as an example of anyone considering taking part in a federal agent attack.
“Some people have the impression that it’s okay to resist or interfere with ice, border patrols, or Homeland Security Officers,” the essayri said. “Not so. It’s against federal law to interfere with or get in the way of their investigation, so you’ll be arrested and charged with a federal crime.”
NBC4 contacted Ice for comments.
Many people are scared and angry at immigration agents in their communities. Lauren Coronado reports on NBC4 News at 6am on June 18, 2025.
Source link
