A Koreatown man was charged Tuesday with throwing Molotov cocktails at security officers inside a federal building in downtown Los Angeles, an attack law enforcement believes was motivated by anti-illegal immigration enforcement sentiment.
Jose Francisco Jovel, 54, was arrested Monday and is charged with attempted malicious damage of federal property. He is expected to make his initial appearance Wednesday in Los Angeles federal court.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Jovel -- who hours earlier had allegedly set his Koreatown apartment on fire after receiving an eviction notice -- arrived Monday morning at the Federal Building, located at 300 N. Los Angeles St. in downtown's Civic Center. He allegedly carried multiple shopping bags, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The building houses offices for several federal agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Prosecutors say that while standing at the base of the stairs outside the building's main entrance, Jovel reached into one of the bags on his bicycle's handlebars and then threw a Molotov cocktail through the building's sliding door, which was open at the time, and is marked as an employee entrance.
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Jovel then threw another Molotov cocktail through the then-open door of the Federal Building's public entrance, where a line of members of the public were waiting to go through security to enter the building, court papers contend.
Evidence collected from the scene, including surveillance video, allegedly indicates Jovel attempted to light at least one of the devices.
Federal officers immediately arrested Jovel then searched the bags he brought with him, which included a lighter and five additional Molotov cocktails, according to the affidavit.
Los Angeles police and fire crews responded to the federal building at 8:35 a.m. Monday. At least a portion of the building was evacuated while police conducted an investigation, and Los Angeles Street was closed between Temple and Aliso streets. The area was cleared by about 11 a.m.
During his arrest, Jovel allegedly said he was motivated by his anger at the federal government of its immigration policies and actions, according to federal prosecutors.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Jovel described his actions as "a terrorist attack" and said to the officers, "you're separating families" -- a remark commonly made by opponents of current U.S. government immigration policies. He then yelled for people to "start shooting these," referring to the officers, prosecutors allege.
Molotov cocktails are hand-thrown incendiary weapons consisting of breakable containers filled with flammable substances and equipped with fuses. A typical version consists of a glass bottle filled with flammable liquid sealed with a cloth wick.
If convicted, Jovel would face a sentence of between five and 20 years in federal prison, prosecutors noted.
"This case exemplifies how misleading and hateful rhetoric against federal law enforcement can and does result in violence," First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement. "Irresponsible rhetoric by politicians and activists have real-world consequences. It must stop."
A criminal complaint was expected to be filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office sometime Tuesday, according to the agency. No other specifics were immediately released.
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