Two women have been convicted of stalking a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Los Angeles, following a high-profile incident during last summer's anti-immigration enforcement protests. Cynthia Raygoza, 38, and Ashleigh Brown, 38, were found guilty on Friday after a week-long trial that detailed their actions on August 28.
Details of the Stalking Incident
The court heard that Raygoza and Brown followed the agent, identified as Rogelio Reyes Huitzilin, from a federal building in downtown Los Angeles to his home. They live-streamed the entire episode on social media, providing directions to his address and encouraging viewers to share the stream widely. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli presented clips from the stream as evidence during the trial.
Confrontation at the Agent's Residence
Upon arriving at Huitzilin's home, the women shouted to bystanders while continuing to broadcast, declaring that their "neighbor is ICE," "la migra lives here," and "ICE lives on your street and you should know." Essayli testified that they also directed racial slurs at the agent's wife, and Huitzilin's young children witnessed the confrontation.
Impact on the Agent's Family
Huitzilin told jurors that his family had been living in fear since the incident, leading them to move out of their neighborhood, though he admitted they had not sold the property. He revealed that one of his sons requested to be homeschooled and his wife required therapy as a result. However, he later acknowledged that no other protesters came to his house after that day and he had no further contact with Brown or Raygoza.
Trial Outcomes and Legal Context
Brown and Raygoza were convicted of one count of stalking but acquitted of conspiring to publish personal information about a federal employee. A third woman, Sandra Samane, was acquitted of both charges. According to The Los Angeles Times, this case marks the first instance where a federal agent was followed and confronted at their home, despite protesters commonly tracking ICE and Border Patrol agents to enforcement sites in cities like LA.
Prosecutor's Statement and Broader Implications
In a statement, Essayli expressed gratitude to the jury, saying, "We thank the jury for bringing justice to these agitators who violated the law and endangered the safety of this federal officer and his family. Peaceful protests are protected by the Constitution, political violence and unlawful intimidation are not." Essayli and federal prosecutors in Los Angeles have filed over 100 cases against protesters for assaulting or hindering immigration agents, securing 23 guilty pleas but losing every previous trial until this conviction.
Sentencing and Future Proceedings
Brown and Raygoza face up to five years in prison for their stalking conviction. They are scheduled to be sentenced on June 8. During the trial, the defendants claimed they believed they were following the agent to an ICE raid, not his home, but the jury rejected this defense.
