A federal jury acquitted a California tow truck driver Friday after he was accused of towing away a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) vehicle amid an immigration apprehension earlier in 2025.
Prosecutors charged Bobby Nuñez, 33, with theft of government property, which could have led to up to ten years in prison if convicted, ABC7 Eyewitness News reported. The U.S. Attorney’s Office addressed the outcome in a statement.
“The trial lasted four days. The jury deliberated for more than three hours. We have no further comment,” they said.
The charges were in connection with an Aug. 15 incident at a downtown Los Angeles apartment complex, according to NBC4 Los Angeles. Federal agents arrived to arrest 23-year-old Tatiana Martinez, a Colombian TikTok influencer, KTLA 5 reported. She was in the country illegally, authorities said. The woman reportedly livestreamed the encounter to thousands of followers. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Illegal Slapped With 20 Years In Prison After Strangling ICE Agent)
The jury may have acquitted him, but guess what Bobby wasn’t doing the last few months while awaiting trial: obstructing our ICE agents.
This defendant’s efforts were in vain, as our immigration enforcement operations were successful that day and every day since.
We are proud… https://t.co/kCUuAL1MtW
— F.A. United States Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) December 22, 2025
Agents reportedly used two government vehicles with emergency lights activated to box in Martinez’s car and prevent her escape. While agents were arresting the influencer, Nuñez allegedly pressed the passenger side door of Martinez’s vehicle against an officer.
After being told about the federal operation, Nuñez said “[s]omething was going to happen,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
While agents dealt with a second man who intervened, Nuñez entered his tow truck and drove off with a government SUV attached, authorities alleged. The vehicle allegedly contained its keys and a gun locked in a safe.
Video released by the Department of Justice showed an agent chasing a tow truck down the street. Nuñez was laughing and recording with his cellphone during the incident, a criminal complaint filed Aug. 22 alleged.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli had posted arrest video on X in September, writing that Nuñez could “laugh behind bars while he faces justice.”
Nuñez’s lawyer issued a statement to NBC4. “We are pleased to confirm that the jury exonerated our client Bobby Nunez. We thank the jurors for their service as an essential backstop against prosecutorial overreach in our constitutional system,” the attorney wrote.
The Daily Caller has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.