Los Angeles County’s District Attorney Nathan Hochman has announced the filing of charges against eight individuals related to violent incidents that occurred during recent protests against immigration enforcement sweeps.
During a news conference on Wednesday afternoon, Hochman emphasized the importance of protecting the right to peaceful assembly while making it clear that those who resort to violence and vandalism would face strong consequences.
Hochman stated, “If people want to hurl insults, we will protect that. If people want to engage in crimes, we will prosecute that.”
He further addressed misconceptions presented in the national media regarding the situation in Los Angeles, arguing that the narrative of the city being in constant turmoil is inaccurate.
“Let me put this in perspective for you,” Hochman explained. “There are 11 million people in this county, 4 million people in this city… Thousands have engaged in legitimate protest. That means 99.9% of people who live in Los Angeles city, or Los Angeles County, have not engaged in any protest at all.”
Among those charged, three individuals face allegations of using fireworks and motorcycles to harm police officers during a protest.
Juan Rodriguez of Gardena is charged with assault on a peace officer, resisting arrest, and advocating violence against law enforcement after allegedly throwing fireworks at police.
Additionally, Randy Paul Ruiz and Georgina Ravallero were charged with assaulting police during a Sunday incident near the downtown immigration detention center. This location has become the focal point for recent demonstrations.
Witness accounts describe how two motorcycles maneuvered through protesters, revving their engines to cheers. However, the situation escalated when the motorcycles collided with a line of LAPD officers.
Hochman and LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell reported that both Ruiz and Ravallero intentionally drove their motorcycles into the police skirmish line. If convicted, they could face more than six years in prison.
The prosecution also announced charges against two individuals implicated in a break-in at a Nike store in downtown Los Angeles on the same Sunday night, alongside felony vandalism charges for those accused of tagging the Hall of Justice—a building housing the district attorney’s office and sheriff’s department.
Details regarding court dates for the charged individuals remain unconfirmed, and the identities of their defense attorneys have not been disclosed.
Sheriff Robert Luna remarked that investigators are still reviewing footage from the protests, indicating that more arrests could follow. He warned individuals who may have evaded capture: “If you didn’t get caught in the last couple of nights, there’s a lot of evidence. You’re probably going to have a detective knocking at your door.”
In the conference, the focus remained on distinguishing peaceful protesters from those engaging in violent behavior.
Luna stated, “There’s a big distinction between individuals who protest and demonstrate [and] violent, destructive, basically anarchists. What we’re talking about is the individuals who don’t care about the issue at hand.”
During his election campaign last year, Hochman pledged to take a tougher stance on various protest-related offenses, particularly targeting actions like blocking freeways and damaging property.
Historically, Los Angeles-area prosecutors have maintained a clear boundary between First Amendment activities and criminal behavior in their decisions to charge protesters during occasions of widespread unrest.
After the 2020 murder of George Floyd, for instance, thousands of individuals were arrested by the LAPD and other agencies for minor offenses such as failure to disperse. However, both the Los Angeles city attorney’s office and former District Attorney George Gascón declined to pursue those cases in most instances.
The recent charges reflect a continued effort by law enforcement and prosecutors to address violence during protests while upholding constitutional rights.
image source from：https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-06-11/los-angeles-da-charges-anti-ice-protesters
