Buenas tardes!

This past year our community has felt an increase in violence, kidnappings, and trauma. Although exhausting, we continue to show up in all the ways we can - City Council meetings, doing research, educational presentations, showing up physically, etc. As a migrant, indigenous person who was born in Mexico myself, I have advocated for our rights since I can remember and today our familias are especially under attack.

About two weeks ago, I was responding to community members calls due to fears of several unmarked vehicles in Oxnard. I witnessed an unmarked vehicle with tinted windows drive through my neighborhood. I pulled up next to the vehicle and asked them to identify themselves but they did not. I feared it was ICE as they fled, trying to lose me in traffic.

As I was following, I was pulled over by Los Angeles County Sheriffs (idk what they were doing in VC). LA Sheriffs let the unmarked vehicle escape the scene, surrounded me, sat me on the ground and harassed me. I was treated with no dignity and was told things like : "it's because of people like you", "we don't care about your community", "haha, you're going to pay consequences and we're going to take your car". The day before, there had been a bloody kidnapping of ICE, just blocks from where I was pulled over and where I live. Oxnard Police responded to the scene and spoke to the sheriffs, not once speaking with me. The next evening, OPD posted online about the incident, although not once did they speak with me (all the

while I could clearly hear Sheriffs lie to OPD).

LA Sheriffs had Bob's Towing Company tow my vehicle. I was cited with a misdemeanor for reckless driving and have to show up to court. I had to go to the nearest LA Sheriffs Office and spent 2.5 hours while they tried to provide me information.

My vehicle is now on a 30 day hold with a bill of $75 per day + fees, accumulating $3,130 by the end of the 30 days. Bob's Towing has also sent me a Notice of Pending Lien Sale but thankfully I have signed a Declaration of Opposition so they do not try to sell my vehicle anymore.

Thanks to my community's quick response and physical support, I was not arrested nor physically harmed. I am in touch with a public defender but my case is still not up on the VC system. I will keep community updated as I learn more about the status of my vehicle and my court case.