The illegal immigrant who was shot after allegedly ramming his car into federal agents in Los Angeles is a TikTok star famous for recording ICE arrests.
Carlitos Ricardo Parias — who was hit in the elbow Tuesday in a tense standoff where a US marshal was also shot — is known as Richard LA on TikTok, where he has more than 130,000 followers, ABC 7 reported.
He mostly follows ICE agents around Los Angeles, recording them detaining suspected illegal immigrants, getting him hundreds of thousands of views and likes.
The 44-year-old TikTokker, who had reportedly escaped from custody on a previous occasion, allegedly rammed his Toyota Camry into law enforcement vehicles after agents boxed him in after a traffic stop on Tuesday, officials said.
“Ultimately, an agent opened fire, wounding Parias and a deputy US marshal, who was hit with a ricochet bullet,” Acting US Attorney Bill Essay said. “Fortunately, both the deputy marshal and Parias are expected to recover.”
Parias was arrested and charged with assaulting a federal officer. He is scheduled to make his initial court appearance at the federal courthouse in Los Angeles on Wednesday and faces up to eight years in prison if convicted.
Despite Parias being in the country illegally and accused of dangerously ramming agents, he was celebrated by Los Angeles City councilman Curren Price.
“Richard is a pillar of our community, a fearless citizen journalist whose authentic storytelling has consistently uplifted the unheard voices of South Central Los Angeles,” Price wrote in a statement. “His unfiltered portrayal of real life has fostered a loyal following, both on TikTok and throughout our City.”
