Roberto Carlos Montoya Valdez
Died during operation · ICE/CBP · Monrovia, California
What happened
As federal immigration agents arrived at a Monrovia Home Depot, Montoya Valdez, 52, ran, crossed onto the eastbound 210 Freeway, and was struck by an SUV traveling about 60 mph. He died at a hospital. Local officials tied the flight to the raid; DHS said agents were not pursuing him.
Resistance to arrest
Local officials said he ran as agents arrived at a Home Depot enforcement operation and was killed crossing a freeway. DHS said he was not being pursued by any DHS officers. No claim of a physical struggle or ramming—panic flight during a raid.
Officer / agency involvement
Not a shooting; died after being hit by an SUV on I-210 while fleeing a Home Depot enforcement operation.
Official / DHS account
DHS/ICE said he was not being pursued by any DHS law enforcement and that the agency learned of the death hours later from CHP. DHS described the Home Depot action as a targeted Border Patrol operation that arrested several day laborers.
Contested points & other evidence
City officials and witnesses said he fled as agents arrived; advocates argued raid tactics created panic. Some elected officials said the operation violated a temporary restraining order on indiscriminate stops in Southern California.
Investigation status
CHP investigated the freeway collision; no public finding tying criminal liability to agents for the death.
Sources
How to read source labels
News outlets are tagged with a perceived lean (liberal, conservative, or neutral)—a simplified reading of common media-bias charts, not a verdict on accuracy. Official records (court filings, prosecutor releases, agency statements, legislative text) are listed separately and are not scored as “news,” though governments and prosecutors also have interests.
News coverage
- NBC News — what we knowPerceived liberal
- CNN — freeway death after Home Depot raidPerceived liberal
- CBS Los Angeles — death fleeing Home Depot raidPerceived liberal
- AP / ABC7 — fatalities during immigration sweepsPerceived neutral
- LAist — city officials on freeway deathPerceived neutral
No separate court filing or agency record is linked yet for this case—news accounts below may quote those documents. Primary links will be added when publicly available.