A federal claim seeking $50 million has been filed on behalf of Carlitos Ricardo Parias, a social media influencer and community journalist known online as “Richard LA,” one year after federal agents shot him while attempting to arrest him in South Los Angeles, KABC reported. Civil rights attorney Denise Gastelum announced the claim on Tuesday, describing it as a precursor to a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other agencies involved in his arrest.
Source: KABC / ABC7 Los Angeles
Parias was shot in the elbow during the October 2025 arrest. According to his attorneys, the round ricocheted and also struck a U.S. marshal in the hand. Gastelum criticised the agents' actions, saying body-camera footage showed what she described as an indiscriminate attack on a man in his vehicle with his hands up asking why he was being detained — an allegation the federal government has not accepted.
Federal prosecutors had charged Parias with assault on a federal officer, alleging he used his vehicle as a weapon. A federal judge dismissed the case late last year, finding that Parias, who was being held at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, had been denied access to his attorneys.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said the department “strongly disagrees” with the decision to dismiss the case, adding: “All illegal aliens in detention have access to their lawyers. No one is denied access to counsel.” The federal government is appealing the dismissal.
Parias, a Mexican national, remains in custody, which his attorneys contend is unlawful. “He should not be detained… whatever criminal charges they brought against him have been dismissed,” said Carlos Jurado, his immigration attorney. In August, the Committee to Protect Journalists reported that Parias had spent 300 days in detention at Adelanto and that his attorneys said he had been denied adequate medical treatment, including pain medication and physical therapy; CPJ called on ICE to ensure he receives adequate care.
Source: Committee to Protect Journalists
Claim: $50 million, announced Tuesday as a step before a lawsuit. Shooting: October 2025, South Los Angeles — Parias was hit in the elbow. Criminal case: dismissed late last year; the government is appealing. Status: still in immigration custody, his lawyers say unlawfully.