Notices were posted across Silver Lake Friday, warning the community of the presence of federal agents after a man was detained outside his home.
Video shared with NBC4 from the incident on Jan. 7 shows several masked agents struggling to detain the man who family identified as 64-year-old Rafael Vela.
Vela managed to get to the doorstep of his home before being detained and taken in an unmarked car.
“They went up the stairs and caught my godfather and took him away,” recounted Vela’s goddaughter, Jenny Vargas.
Vela is heard on video shouting, “Vivian!” the name of his partner for 30 years, as he is being taken away.
“Vivian, Vivian! That’s what he calls me in Spanish, Vivian. But it was too late,” said Vivian Argueyo.
Neighbors described Vela as a friendly man who picked up recyclables and did small jobs in the community. Several witnesses express their frustration about how the arrest took place.
“To have three people on one man over 60 years old is ridiculous,” said witness Lilly Graves. “I’m sure he was in pain and they were on top of him.”
The 64-year-old was born in El Salvador and has been in the U.S. for over 40 years. Vela thought he had a permanent resident status, but a letter found later confirms he does not, something he apparently did not understand, according to his family.
“I don’t understand why they did that. They just came here to this address, why?” said Vargas.
In August last year, Vela was arrested over a dispute with an acquaintance, according to Vargas. Information from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department shows he was released without charges.
“It’s terrible to watch someone while you feel helpless. There’s nothing else to do but record it and tell the community ice was here,” said Graves.
The Department of Homeland Security didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Vela’s case.
Want more insights? Join Working Title - our career elevating newsletter and get the future of work delivered weekly.
