A 21-year-old Glendale man captured on video crying out for his mother as immigration officers detained him Wednesday has an extensive criminal record, The California Post has learned.
The man was identified by the Department of Homeland Security as Michael Steven Arias-Villanueva, a Colombian illegal immigrant whose record includes allegations of burglary, grand theft and organized retail theft, officials told The Post.
“On July 29, CBP arrested Michael Steven Arias-Villanueva, a criminal illegal alien from Colombia, during a targeted operation in Glendale, California,” DHS said. “This illegal alien’s criminal history includes charges for Burglary, Grand Theft, Organized Retail Theft, Theft, Receiving Known Stolen Property, Conspiracy to Commit Crime, and Driving Without a License.”
According to the Trump administration, Arias-Villanueva resisted arrest during the operation, which took place around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday near the 400 block of West Glenoaks Boulevard. Officials did not make clear whether agents were specifically targeting Arias-Villanueva or whether anyone else was taken into custody.
DHS said Arias-Villanueva “refused to comply with lawful commands from law enforcement officers” as agents attempted to arrest him.
Video from the scene shows him shouting for help in Spanish while struggling with two masked officers.
“Mama,” he can be heard yelling. “Ayudame,” meaning “help me.”
Bystanders are seen trying to intervene with the arrest, but the officers yelled that they may be arrested if they interfere.
Other officers eventually arrive, and the two officers place the man in a white SUV.
Arias-Villanueva is currently being held at the Desert View ICE facility in Adelanto, California, according to ICE records.
The DHS said Border Patrol previously encountered the man in 2024, but he was released into the country by the Biden administration.
“Border Patrol encountered Arias-Villanueva near El Paso, Texas, on January 11, 2024, and he was RELEASED into the country by the Biden administration. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings,” they wrote.
“Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, ICE is targeting the worst of the worst. Nearly 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S.,” they added.
A witness at the scene interviewed by KTLA, Girik Issaian, said the arrest occurred right outside his home.
“I’m sad, heartbroken,” the man said. “He’s a kid, asking me for help and my hands is tied I can’t go help him.”
“He was begging for help. That’s all. A kid for begging for help,” he added.
A street photographer who took video of the arrest said in an Instagram caption: “Turn the volume up so the people around you can hear this.”
An entry on a website called stopice.net warned of an “ice kidnapping” in the area of Arias-Villanueva’s arrest. The website posts the locations and times of ICE operations.
Celebrity chef Jose Andres blasted Arias-Villanueva’s arrest on X.
“As America celebrates 250 years of freedom, we should all be asking ourselves: who are the masked people handcuffing individuals on our streets without identifying themselves or being held accountable? A free society demands transparency, due process, and accountability—not anonymous power,” he wrote.
Immigration operations in SoCal have been ongoing, with local Democratic officials and immigration advocates condemning any activity in the area.
Federal immigration agents detained as many as 11 people during a series of early morning raids in upscale California beach enclave Santa Barbara on Father’s Day last month.
Among those taken into custody were three mariachi musicians encountered near San Pascual and Mulberry streets in the early hours, according to activists.
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