An undocumented immigrant living in Los Angeles has been charged with assaulting a federal officer after allegedly spitting on an ICE agent who was serving a warrant at his home earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday, June 11.
On the morning of Tuesday, June 10, ICE officers arrived at the home of Omar Pulido Bastida, 41, in Historic South Central to serve an arrest warrant, prosecutors said. Pulido previously had been charged with illegally reentering the United States after being deported earlier this year.
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According to a federal affidavit, an ICE officer knocked on the door and identified himself as law enforcement with a warrant. Pulido, standing on a second-story balcony, allegedly responded by insulting the officer.
He then opened the front door but remained behind an iron security gate. When the officer again informed him of the warrant, Pulido allegedly replied, “No, get out of here. I know my rights. I’m calling my lawyer,” before spitting through the gate and hitting the officer in the face. At the time, the officer had leaned against the grate to see Pulido more clearly.
Pulido retreated into the home, but ICE personnel soon forced entry and found him hiding in a second-story storage room, prosecutors said. He reportedly said, “OK, you got me,” before being taken into custody.
Pulido was charged Wednesday with one count of assault on a federal employee, a felony offense that carries a maximum sentence of eight years in federal prison. He is also facing a separate charge for illegal reentry into the United States following removal.