'He is 18 years old but a kid': LA high school senior was walking his dog when ICE took him into custody - Who is Benjamin Marcelo Guerrero Cruz?
The student, identified as 18-year-old Benjamin Marcelo Guerrero Cruz, was detained in Van Nuys on Friday, August 8, according to Newsweek citing GoFundMe campaign created on his behalf.
Guerrero-Cruz helps take care of his 5-month-old twin brothers and his 6-year-old brother, the GoFundMe post said. He's described in the post as a "devoted son, a caring brother, a loyal friend, and a valued member of our community," ABC news reported.
The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) confirmed the incident and its spokesperson said, "Los Angeles Unified stands united in protecting every student and family during this period of heightened immigration enforcement."
— cwebbonline (@cwebbonline)
"Working closely with city leaders and municipal partners, we have strengthened safety measures at and around our schools. This includes enhanced communication with various entities, visible presence in impacted communities, and rapid-response protocols should enforcement activity occur."
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
SRM Online MBA | India's top ranked institute
SRM Online
Learn More
Undo
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told KTLA that Cruz had overstayed his visa by more than two years, with his visa waiver programme expiring in March 2023. Cruz is currently held in ICE detention in LA.
As of Friday morning, over Rs 24,000 had been raised to cover his legal fees and basic needs for his mother and siblings, who also live in fear of federal agents. Friends have expressed support for Cruz, with his soccer teammates describing him as reliable, respectful, and kind.
The arrest coincided with the temporary detention of a 15-year-old student with disabilities elsewhere in LA on Monday morning. In response, LAUSD is deploying staff and school police to patrol streets around 100 schools to protect students from ICE and other agents.
At a news conference on Thursday, LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho stated, "He is 18 years old, but he's a kid. He has not been exposed to anything in his life.
He drinks water once a day. The food is insufficient. Mom said that there was not enough room for everybody to sit or lie down at the same time."
Ronny C, a soccer teammate of Cruz, said on the GoFundMe page, "We're devastated to lose such a good kid and great teammate. On the field, he was rock-solid—always showed up, worked hard, and could be counted on week after week. Off the field, he was just as reliable: kind, respectful, and someone who lifted up the people around him.
He brought consistency, heart, and a quiet strength that made the team better in every way.
It's heartbreaking to see him taken from us like this, and we'll truly miss not just the player, but the person he was."
The standoff between LA officials, including Mayor Karen Bass, and the Trump administration continues, with the President stating that ICE has full authority to arrest and detain individuals in sanctuary cities suspected of being illegally present in the U.S.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
a minute ago
- The Hindu
Five, including woman, held for attempting to murder her husband in Sriperumbudur
Sriperumbudur Police has arrested five persons, including a woman, for paying hirelings to kill her husband as he had opposed her relationship with another man. Police sources said one Arikrishnan,45, of Mevalur Kuppam, runs a biryani shop along the national highways. His wife Bhavani, 39, was assisting him in the business. One Madhan Kumar, 29, who was working at the eatery, developed a relationship with Bhavani and after coming to know their relationship through CCTV footage, Arikrishnan removed Madhan Kumar from the job and warned him. Then she and Madhan Kumar had devised a plan to Arikrishnan with the help of hirelings from Thiruvarur. Recently Arikrishnan escaped narrowly, an attempt by the gang to kill him by ramming a car on him on the national highways. Subsequently, the gang contacted him over phone and demanded Rs 5 lakh to spare him. The gang allegedly told him that his wife along with her male friend Madhan Kumar negotiated a deal to kill him for Rs. 15 lakh and paid Rs 2 lakh advance. They said to him that they would spare him if he would pay Rs 5 lakh, said police sources. Following this he lodged a complaint with the police. On investigation, police arrested Bhavani and Madhan Kumar and three others who allegedly admitted the crime.
News18
11 minutes ago
- News18
UP: 6 arrested in Meerut Toll Plaza assault on Army Jawan
Meerut (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 19 (ANI): Six people have been arrested in Meerut following the assault of an Indian Army personnel at the Bhuni Toll Plaza on the Meerut-Karnal section of NH-709A, officials said on SP Rural, Rakesh Kumar Mishra, said that the soldier identified as Kapil was returning after completing his leave and had a flight to catch.'A person named Kapil is serving in the Indian Army. Yesterday, he was returning after completing his leave, and he had a flight to catch. There was a line of vehicles at the Bhuni Toll Plaza, and he spoke to the toll workers to pass through quickly," Mishra told added, 'During this, an argument broke out, and the toll workers beat him up. Six people have been arrested in the case. One or two more individuals seen in the video will also be arrested soon."Meerut locals staged a protest on the road demanding strict action against those responsible for assaulting the the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has stated that a Rs 20 lakh fine has been imposed on the toll collecting agency for the misbehaviour. 'NHAI has taken strict action on the incident of misbehaviour with army personnel by toll staff deployed at Bhuni Toll Plaza on Meerut-Karnal section of NH-709A on 17th August 2025. NHAI has imposed a penalty of Rs 20 lakhs on the toll collecting agency, M/s Dharam Singh and has initiated the process of terminating and debarring the toll collection firm from future participation in toll plaza bids," NHAI posted on X. (ANI)
NDTV
15 minutes ago
- NDTV
Trinamool Leader Anubrata Mondal Gets Bail In Police Officer Abuse Case
Bolpur: A court in West Bengal's Birbhum district on Monday granted bail to TMC leader Anubrata Mondal after he surrendered in the court and moved an anticipatory relief petition in connection with the case of alleged use of abusive and derogatory language during a telephonic conversation with a police officer. Mondal's plea on health grounds was accepted by Judicial Magistrate Banikbrata Dutta of Bolpur Subdivision Court on a surety of Rs 1,000 and on condition that he will continue to cooperate with the probe and meet the investigating officer (IO) when summoned, court officials said. In a leaked four-minute telephonic conversation between Mondal and Bolpur police station inspector-in-charge Litan Halder on May 29 this year, the authenticity of which PTI couldn't independently verify, the Birbhum Trinamool Congress leader was heard hurling invectives at the police officer and threatening his wife and mother. Left red-faced by the audio-clip, the party issued him a four-hour apology deadline and a suo motu FIR was lodged against him by the police. Mondal was issued police summons and his security details withdrawn. Faced with party annoyance, Mondal tendered written apologies to both the police officer and the TMC state president Subrata Bakshi but avoided responding to the initial summons from Bolpur Police. On June 6, seven days after the purported audio clip surfaced, Mondal appeared before the Bolpur SDPO where his cell phone was reportedly inspected. Mondal arrived at the Bolpur Subdivision Court around 10.40 am on Monday for his voluntary surrender and his bail hearing was taken up post 2 pm. "The court granted him bail considering his age and the physical ailments he suffers from. There are no pre-conditions to his bail," said Nupur Dutta Banerjee, Mondal's counsel. "I had submitted before the court that the IO in this case did not duly comply with the notice served to Mondal under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, which outlines the procedure for police to issue a notice to individuals in cognisable offenses where arrest isn't immediately necessary," said Phiroj Pal, government lawyer, confirming that he opposed the bail prayer. "Secondly, we are still not privy to the police's case diary (CD) and have no idea how far the investigations in this case have so far progressed. We wanted the court to wait till we had the CD in our hand," he added. Pal said that the court was prima facie satisfied with the petitioner's submission that Mondal has cooperated with the police and that there has been no progress in the probe for a formidable period. In September 2024, Mondal was granted bail in the multi-crore cattle smuggling case when he stepped out of the Tihar Jail after remaining imprisoned for over two years.
