An 18-year-old Van Nuys resident who was taken into custody by federal immigration officers while walking his dog has spent the past week in a detention facility reportedly so cramped that his cellmates can’t all sit or lie down at the same time, a Los Angeles Unified School District official said.
Benjamin Marcelo Guerrero Cruz had just celebrated his 18th birthday and was due to start his senior year at Reseda Charter High School earlier this week when he was arrested by immigration officials on Aug. 8, according to a GoFundMe post created to support his family and help with legal fees.
A representative from the Department of Homeland Security said the teen is an undocumented immigrant from Chile who has overstayed his visa for two years, KTLA reported.
DHS could not be reached for comment on Saturday.
During a news conference on Aug. 14, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the Los Angeles Unified School District is providing legal assistance to the family. He also stated that Cruz’s mother said the teen was in detention in downtown Los Angeles in a “small space” with about 40 other men, most of whom were older than him.
There was not enough room for the detainees to sit or lie down at the same time, and the food and water provided were insufficient, according to Cruz’s mother, Carvalho said.
School district officials could not be reached on Saturday.
“He is more than just a student — he is a devoted son, a caring brother, a loyal friend, and a valued member of our community,” the fundraising post read. “He carries a tremendous amount of responsibility at home, helping care for his five-month-old twin brothers and his six-year-old brother.”
According to the GoFundMe, the officers who detained Cruz tied his dog to a tree and then clipped his collar, allowing the pet to run free on Sepulveda Boulevard.
As of Saturday afternoon, more than $45,000 had been raised to support Cruz’s family.
“On the field, he was rock-solid—always showed up, worked hard, and could be counted on week after week,” wrote Ronny C., one of Guerrero Cruz’s soccer teammates, in a comment on the fundraiser. “Off the field, he was just as reliable: kind, respectful, and someone who lifted up the people around him.”
A few days after Guerrero Cruz was arrested, on Aug. 11, a 15-year-old boy with disabilities was wrongly identified and detained at gunpoint near Arleta High School, school district officials said. He was handcuffed, then released by immigration agents once they realized he was not the person they were looking for.
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