Roberto Carlos Montoya: A Guatemalan Man’s Tragic Encounter with ICE

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A man who was fatally struck by an SUV on the 210 Freeway while fleeing a federal immigration raid in Monrovia on Thursday has been identified.

Roberto Carlos  Montoya, a 52-year-old man from Guatemala, was pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital following the crash.

“The Consulate General of Guatemala in Los Angeles deeply regrets this sad event and is currently in contact with the family, providing the necessary assistance,” the consulate said in a statement.

A video shows a large crowd of people gathered Friday evening at the Monrovia Home Depot where the raid happened to honor the 52-year-old father and husband, but also to call for an end to the immigration raids.

Friends say Montoya was simply trying to provide for his family as a handyman. One friend said Montoya was a noble, charismatic man who liked to help people.

“These people are looking for a job, and all of a sudden, someone loses their life,” said Brenda Kyle from Duarte. “If the goal is to say that we have failed at strengthening and securing the border, well, that’s not the people at the Home Depot’s fault. It’s the people who are supposed to be doing their jobs at the border.”

According to a statement by Monrovia City Manager Dylan Feik, Monrovia police responded shortly before 10 a.m. Thursday to a call about ICE activity at a Home Depot store at 1625 Mountain Ave. During that operation, a man fled on foot across Evergreen Avenue and onto the 210 Freeway. He was struck by a vehicle near Myrtle Avenue, according to Feik and the California Highway Patrol.

CHP officials said the man was struck by a Ford Expedition SUV being driven at 50 to 60 mph. The fleeing man, later identified as Montoya, suffered major injuries and was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the Highway Patrol.

“There is no ongoing ICE activity reported in Monrovia at this time, and the city has not received any communication or information from ICE,” Feik said in his statement Thursday. “While we understand community members want to know more about the incident, the information provided in this update is all the city has to provide at this time.”

More than a dozen people were reportedly detained during Thursday’s operation.

“I just feel like some of them are ICE and some of them are just plain kidnappers,” Jannette de la Riva, of the advocacy organization Groupo Autodefensa, told ABC7. “For me, the kidnappers is like, we don’t know where all these people are at or where they’re going. And some family (members) can’t still find their families, it’s been months that they’re still waiting to see where they’re at.

“So we don’t know what’s going on,” she added. “For me, it’s hard to trust any vehicle right now.”