Police tape blocks off the crime scene outside a church where a man shot dead four people, including three of his children, before turning the gun on himself, February 28, 2022 in Sacramento, California. A father shot dead three of his own children on February 28 before turning the gun on himself in a US church, police said. A fifth person also died in the shooting in Sacramento, California, though it was not clear if that person was related to what police said was a domestic incident. (Photo by Andri Tambunan / AFP) (Photo by ANDRI TAMBUNAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Los Angeles, California – A federal investigation is underway after a chaotic immigration arrest in South Los Angeles ended with gunfire Tuesday morning, leaving both a deputy U.S. marshal and the suspect wounded.
Federal prosecutors charged 44-year-old Carlitos Ricardo Parias, a Mexican national living in the U.S. illegally, with assault on a federal officer. Parias is expected to appear in court Wednesday in downtown Los Angeles.
According to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday, federal agents with the U.S. Marshals Service and other agencies were attempting to arrest Parias on an administrative immigration warrant when the situation turned violent.
Agents had been surveilling a home in the Historic South-Central neighborhood when Parias was seen leaving in a gray Toyota Camry. Law enforcement vehicles then moved to block his car, boxing him in from three sides.
When agents ordered him to exit the vehicle, prosecutors say Parias refused, slamming the Camry into reverse and then forward, striking two of the law enforcement vehicles. Agents again instructed him to surrender, but Parias allegedly accelerated more aggressively, his tires spinning so hard that clouds of smoke and debris filled the air.
“As the car fishtailed and kicked up rubber, agents feared he would break free and hit them,” the complaint states. One officer reportedly tried to shatter the driver’s window before gunfire erupted.
It’s not clear exactly who fired first or how many shots were discharged, but prosecutors confirmed that both Parias and a deputy marshal were struck — the marshal by a ricocheted bullet. Both are expected to recover from their injuries.
Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli called the vehicle “a deadly weapon” and warned that attacks on federal officers would not be tolerated. “If it is used against federal agents, not only will you face years in federal prison, but you also face the possibility of deadly force being used against you,” he said in a statement. “We will continue to use every tool in our legal arsenal to protect our agents enforcing immigration laws enacted by Congress.”
The Department of Justice said Parias had evaded prior attempts to take him into custody. The criminal complaint does not mention what led to the administrative immigration warrant, but officials confirmed the incident is under review by both federal prosecutors and internal investigators.
The case underscores the volatility of immigration enforcement operations, particularly in dense urban areas like South Los Angeles, where federal agents often coordinate with local law enforcement to make arrests.
For now, Parias faces a federal charge of assaulting a federal officer — a felony that can carry a lengthy prison term if convicted. He remains in custody, and prosecutors say additional charges could follow as investigators reconstruct the violent encounter that turned an arrest into a gunfight.
Both the U.S. Marshals Service and the Department of Justice said the incident will undergo a full use-of-force review.
