A South Los Angeles man who has thousands of followers on TikTok for his videos of police and fire activity in the area remained hospitalized Wednesday after being shot during a confrontation with federal agents that also left a U.S. marshal wounded.
The shooting was reported about 8:50 a.m. Tuesday in the 400 block of East 20th Street, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Public Affairs Officer Luis Alani.
Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli identified the suspect as Carlitos Ricardo Parias, describing him in a social media post as a "44-year-old illegal alien from Mexico living in South Los Angeles." Parias is better known as Richard LA, who has nearly 132,000 followers on TikTok and regularly posts videos documenting police and fire incidents in South Los Angeles.
Parias was charged with assault on a federal officer, which could carry up to eight years in federal prison. He was originally expected to make an initial court appearance in downtown Los Angeles Wednesday, but that hearing was postponed indefinitely while Parias remained hospitalized.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement Tuesday saying the confrontation involved "an illegal alien who had previously escaped from custody" and who "attempted to evade arrest yet again."
"ICE law enforcement officers, assisted by U.S. marshals, pulled the illegal alien over in a standard law enforcement procedure," McLaughlin said. "The illegal alien weaponized his vehicle and began ramming the law enforcement vehicle in an attempt to flee. Fearing for the safety of the public and law enforcement, our officers followed their training and fired defensive shots. The illegal alien was shot in the elbow and one law enforcement officer was shot in the hand by a ricochet bullet. Both are in the hospital."
Both Parias and the wounded marshal were expected to recover.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, federal agents conducting surveillance in South Los Angeles on Tuesday morning saw Parias -- who was the subject of an immigration arrest warrant and had previously avoided capture -- leave a home and get into a gray Toyota Camry, driving away eastbound.
Federal agents proceeded to use three vehicles to block the Camry in position, prosecutors said. Parias allegedly refused orders to exit the car, and instead began driving the Camry forward and back, hitting two of the federal vehicles. An agent tried to break the driver's side window of the Camry, prompting the suspect to drive more aggressively, spinning the car's wheels leading to "large plumes of smoke," prosecutors said.
Ultimately, a federal agent opened fire, wounding the suspect, with a ricochet bullet then striking the U.S. marshal in a hand.
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Los Angeles City Councilman Curren Price Jr.'s office previously honored Richard LA for his work in the community.
"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," according to a social media post by Price's office. "His unfiltered portrayal of real life has fostered a loyal following, both on TikTok and throughout our city. Richard LA exemplifies what it means to serve your community with courage and heart. ... We stand in solidarity with Richard and his family during this difficult time."
Angelina Valencia-Dumarot, a spokeswoman for Price, told City News Service that Price's chief of staff, Jose Ugarte, went to the hospital where the suspect was being treated on Tuesday and spoke to Richard LA's son, who confirmed that his father had been shot. An attorney representing Richard LA's family confirmed to reporters at the hospital that he was the person shot in the confrontation. He told reporters that federal officials were not allowing him into the hospital to speak to his client.
Federal agencies, including the FBI, and the LAPD were investigating the shooting.
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