Day Laborer Killed After Fleeing Immigration Operation at Southern California Home Depot

ICE agents conducted an operation Thursday at this Home Depot

A 52-year-old Guatemalan man was fatally struck by a vehicle after running onto a Southern California freeway during an immigration enforcement operation at a Home Depot in Monrovia, officials said.

The man, identified as Roberto Carlos Montoya Valdés, fled the parking lot of the home improvement store Thursday morning when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents began an operation in the area, according to Monrovia City Manager Dylan Feik. As he ran north across the eastbound lanes of Interstate 210, he stepped in front of an SUV traveling about 60 mph in the far-left lane, the California Highway Patrol reported. The vehicle struck him, resulting in major injuries. He died later at a hospital.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement stated that the individual was not being actively pursued by Department of Homeland Security law enforcement at the time and that agents learned of the incident only after operations in the area had concluded. The California Highway Patrol confirmed that the accident occurred near a federal enforcement operation but said it has not established a direct connection between the raid and the fatality.

Ten people were detained in the operation in Monrovia, according to California Assemblymember John Harabedian, who represents the district. He described the scene as “frightening and chaotic,” noting that such raids can place lives in danger and spread fear across immigrant communities.

Home Depot said it was not notified of the federal operation in advance and was not involved in the enforcement action. The National Day Laborer Organizing Network has stated it is providing support to Valdés’ family and to workers who witnessed the incident.

On Friday, dozens gathered in the parking lot of the Monrovia Home Depot to mourn Valdés and call attention to the human impact of immigration enforcement actions, with community leaders urging that such tragedies must not continue.

Thursday’s fatal incident comes after a farmworker died in July during a separate immigration raid at a California cannabis facility. The episode also occurs amid ongoing legal battles over restrictions on immigration arrests in and around Los Angeles, as federal officials seek broader authority to apprehend individuals based on factors such as workplace or language.