Fontana man narrowly escapes immigration agents who tried to kick down his door after he ran inside

By Leticia Juarez

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    FONTANA, Calif. (KABC) — A Fontana man says he narrowly escaped being detained by federal immigration agents last week after slipping into his apartment and shutting the door moments before an agent tried to kick it in.

The man, identified only as Jose for his safety, shared surveillance video with Eyewitness News that appears to show the tense encounter on July 30.

“I was leaving for work when four vans came up on me, one in front, another behind. They tried to box me in,” Jose said in Spanish.

Jose said he managed to drive back home, quickly park his truck, and run toward his apartment.

“I was running and I thank the Lord I was able to call my wife and tell her to open the door because I was being chased,” he said.

He said that in the process of running from his vehicle, he left behind his keys, wallet and a cashier’s check meant for rent.

Since the incident, Jose and his family say they’ve been living in fear. He claims agents have returned to the apartment and even showed him his house key, but have not presented a warrant.

“They did not present anything to me,” Jose said. “When they were kicking my door, they never said, ‘Hey Jose, we have a paper stating we are to take you.’ Nothing.”

In response to Eyewitness News’ request for comment, the Department of Homeland Security released a statement about Jose, calling him “a dangerous criminal illegal alien from Nicaragua with a criminal history including assault with a deadly weapon, exhibiting a deadly weapon, and disturbing the peace.”

However, San Bernardino County court records reviewed by Eyewitness News show that the charges of assault with a deadly weapon and exhibiting a deadly weapon were dismissed.

Jose did ultimately pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor: disturbing the peace.

He said the original charges stemmed from a dispute with a neighbor, whom he had called police on for allegedly pointing a gun at him and his family.

He says he was ultimately cleared when he was able to show the judge surveillance video from his camera of the incident.

“It was nothing more than a verbal confrontation,” Jose said. “The judge saw that my neighbor lied and the charges were erased as this document shows.”

DHS also alleges that while fleeing, Jose struck a neighbor’s vehicle with his own. Fontana police were called to the scene to investigate a reported hit-and-run.

A spokesperson for the Fontana Police Department said the department was not involved in any enforcement action by federal authorities and did not assist them. The department confirmed officers only responded to a traffic collision during the federal operation. They also towed his vehicle since it was abandoned in a handicap parking space.

Jose is now receiving support from the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, which has launched a fundraising campaign to help the family cover rent, food, and legal expenses.

“There is a lot of inconsistency and thankfully, there are so many videos, so many neighbors took pictures,” said Javier Hernandez, executive director of the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice.

Jose said he arrived in the United States in 2022, fleeing political persecution for speaking out against corruption in Nicaragua. He sought asylum under the Biden administration’s CBP One application program.

DHS has not responded to additional questions about whether a warrant was obtained, the use of dismissed criminal charges to characterize Jose’s history in the United States, or whether agents are continuing to pursue him.

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