In brief
Emiliano Garduno Galvez, a 23-year-old Mexican national living in the U.S. illegally, has pleaded guilty to throwing a Molotov cocktail at sheriff’s deputies during protests against immigration raids in June. He faces a maximum sentence of 15 years, with sentencing set for January 30, 2025.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A 23-year-old man has pleaded guilty to throwing a Molotov cocktail at Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies during protests against immigration raids across the region last spring. Emiliano Garduno Galvez, a Mexican national who is reportedly in the U.S. illegally, entered his plea on Wednesday to charges of possessing an unregistered destructive device and civil disorder related to his actions on June 7 in Paramount, near Los Angeles. He faces up to 15 years in prison when he is sentenced on January 30, 2025.On the day of the incident, sheriff’s deputies responded to a large protest where demonstrators were throwing rocks and other objects at a Home Depot, where U.S. Border Patrol agents were gathered. According to the plea agreement from the Los Angeles Times, Galvez admitted to hiding behind a wall, lighting the Molotov cocktail, and throwing it toward the deputies. The incendiary device landed close to a protester, approximately 15 feet from the deputies. Galvez then fled the scene.Galvez's intention, as stated in the plea agreement, was to obstruct and impede the law enforcement officials as they performed their official duties. While many of the demonstrations against the immigration crackdown were peaceful, some resulted in violent clashes with police, leading to numerous arrests and the use of chemical irritants to manage the crowds.
