Federal Agents' Controversial Immigration Raid in LA Sparks Outrage After Toddler Seizure

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(KTLA) — In a recent immigration enforcement action in Los Angeles, federal agents, both armed and masked, reportedly departed with a U.S. citizen’s vehicle, leaving his 1-year-old daughter inside, despite public protests, as per various media sources.

The event unfolded on November 4 outside a Home Depot located in the Cypress Park area. According to the L.A. Times, 32-year-old Dennis Quinonez allegedly exited his car wielding a hammer and began hurling rocks at the agents.

A criminal complaint filed against Quinonez details that federal officials observed him stashing the hammer in his SUV’s trunk and allegedly saw him throwing what appeared to be rocks at their vehicle as they prepared to leave.

The agents responded by maneuvering their vehicles to block Quinonez’s SUV, preventing him from driving away. Quinonez then exited his car, shouting that his daughter was in the backseat.

The complaint further states that as a crowd gathered, the agents decided to relocate Quinonez and his daughter to a different area to keep them together. During this process, an agent discovered a handgun wrapped in a blue bandana while placing Quinonez into the SUV.

Agents then drove Quinonez and his daughter separately to another location, where a search of the vehicle revealed that the gun, reportedly stolen out of New York State, was loaded with five rounds of ammunition, the complaint alleges.

Federal officials said Quinonez, who reportedly has a 2014 conviction for domestic violence in Los Angeles County and cannot legally have a gun, claimed the firearm belongs to a friend. Authorities also said he admitted to throwing rocks at the agents because he believed they were Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

“He was arrested for assault, and during his arrest, a pistol was found in his car that is reported stolen out of the state of New York,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told The Times. “The individual has an active warrant for property damage.”

Federal agents drove off with the toddler of a detained U.S. citizen during an immigration enforcement operation at a Home Depot in Cypress Park on Nov. 4, 2025. (Google Maps)

Linda Toczylowski, with the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, told the outlet that heavily armed federal agents put the toddler in an extremely dangerous situation.

“It should shock everyone’s conscience that we have masked armed men behaving like that with a U.S. citizen father and a toddler who were just going to run an errand at Home Depot on a random Tuesday,” she said.

The child has since been returned to family members, though the girl’s grandmother, Maria Avalos, who watched the video of the ordeal, said the footage was horrible.

In a statement obtained by MSNBC reporter Jacob Soboroff, Avalos said, “When I picked up my granddaughter from federal agents, she had a dirty diaper, a bruise on her face, and was developing a rash. She was exhausted and cried.”

A little less than an hour later, Gov. Gavin Newsom reposted the MSNBC story, saying only, “This is sick.”

Quinonez has since been charged by federal authorities with the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person previously convicted of domestic violence. It’s unclear if he remains in custody.

Five other undocumented immigrants were also arrested outside the Home Depot, with DHS officials telling the L.A. Times that their criminal records included DUI, driving without a license and a prior deportation from the U.S.