Judge dismisses criminal case against TikTok streamer held in immigration detention
LOS ANGELES– A federal judge has dismissed a criminal case against a popular Los Angeles TikTok streamer, citing constitutional violations after his lawyers were denied access to him while he was in immigration detention.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Olguin issued a ruling Saturday dismissing the indictment against Carlitos Ricardo Parias, known for documenting police and immigration activities online. Parias’ rights were violated when federal authorities repeatedly refused to allow his criminal defense attorneys to visit or speak with him during immigration detention so he could prepare for his trial this week, Olguin wrote, adding that the firing was motivated by bias, which prevents the government from bringing the same charges against him again.
“In short, the government’s failure to coordinate the overlapping actions of its various agencies while relentlessly pursuing the criminal prosecution of Mr. Parias created a situation from which constitutional violations could — and did — occur,” Olguin wrote.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles said in a statement that the agency was evaluating its options to appeal. “We strongly disagree with the court’s version of the facts as well as its legal conclusions,” the statement said.
Parias was indicted last month and pleaded not guilty to charges of assault on a federal officer using a deadly or dangerous weapon and depredation of government property.
The charges stem from an October incident in which federal authorities said Parias rammed his vehicle into theirs while they were trying to stop him on an immigration warrant and shot him in the elbow. Parias was released on bail pending trial and taken to an immigration detention center in Adelanto, California, where he remained Monday, according to the government’s online database. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Center is located approximately 70 miles (113 kilometers) northeast of downtown Los Angeles and is operated by the GEO Group.
U.S. authorities say Parias is a Mexican citizen living in the country illegally. A message seeking comment was left with immigration attorney Carlos Jurado.
Parias is well known in South Los Angeles for his Spanish-language videos posted to TikTok on two accounts with more than 340,000 followers combined. Videos on his page from 2024 document police activity, car crashes and fires, and tortilla making and rainy days in Los Angeles. This year, images also focused on protests against immigration measures and arrests by federal deportation authorities.
Parias is one of many social media users who post about immigration raids and arrests in Southern California, often relaying information in real time to alert community members. He was initially hospitalized after being shot during his arrest in October.
