Ricardo Gonzalez, a 40-year-old former Long Beach city employee, was injured during an encounter with federal immigration agents in North Long Beach on Saturday, October 17. Police said officers found him handcuffed and bleeding while detained by ICE agents near Elm Avenue and 56th Street. His family and city officials describe him as a U.S. citizen. Mayor Rex Richardson and Rep. Robert Garcia have reacted sharply; federal officials haven't publicly explained what happened.
What Happened in the Long Beach ICE Incident
It started Saturday afternoon in a residential North Long Beach neighborhood, where Gonzalez and other residents called 911 about unmarked vehicles. Gonzalez, Mayor Rex Richardson told CNN, "called 911 when he saw a circumstance escalating, and so he called and asked for assistance."
ICE personnel had requested emergency assistance over vehicle vandalism and a person in need of medical aid, a Long Beach police statement said. Officers arrived to find a man handcuffed and bleeding while detained by ICE, amid a "large group disturbance" involving the agents.
Witness video showed Gonzalez handcuffed on the ground, held down by an agent in a "Police ICE" vest, yelling "Help me, my arm is broken" and "call a paramedic." No official or medical source has confirmed a broken arm. His daughter, Leslie Gonzalez, told the Long Beach Watchdog her father was riding his e-bike when an unmarked federal vehicle struck him and agents tased him twice — claims officials haven't confirmed. CNN reported it is still unknown what led up to the detention.
Even getting him care was messy: fire crews couldn't reach the scene because residents had blocked the street with trash cans, so officers drove Gonzalez to a nearby fire station, removed his handcuffs, and fire personnel took him to a hospital.
Who Is Ricardo Gonzalez?
Gonzalez worked for the city of Long Beach for about eight years — health department, then utilities — leaving in September, his daughter said. She told the Watchdog he was born in Hanford, California, and is a U.S. citizen; the mayor said Gonzalez told him the same, though CNN was still verifying it.
On Sunday, scraped and bruised, Gonzalez put his arm in a sling to watch his son's soccer game. "He's just in pain. He can't really sit down, it hurts when he gets up," Leslie said. She called him a people person who loves his e-bike and fixing cars, a skill he learned from his father, a Mexican immigrant.
Why Did Long Beach Police Respond to an ICE Call?
The department says ICE asked for the help: federal personnel "requested emergency assistance from LBPD and LBFD due to vehicle vandalism taking place and a subject in need of medical aid." But after officers left, "some ICE agents followed LBPD personnel to a secure parking lot in the police station," the department said. They were told to leave and to file any vandalism report through the city's communications center.
The department made no arrests. Its position: Long Beach police don't assist immigration enforcement but "cannot legally obstruct or interfere with federal enforcement operations." Videos showed LBPD vehicles blocking streets while residents demanded to know why local police were at a federal immigration operation.
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What Officials and Rep. Garcia Are Saying
Rep. Robert Garcia, a California Democrat, alleged on X that "ICE agents brutally attacked and broke the arm of a North Long Beach resident and U.S. citizen," calling the videos "horrific." No official or medical source has confirmed that.
Mayor Richardson said he was "outraged," spoke with Gonzalez and his family, and declined to discuss his condition, citing privacy. He tried ICE's complaint hotline and never got through. The weekend, he told CNN, "turned into a violent incident with no transparency or accountability, and a lot more questions than answers."
Councilwoman Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, whose 8th District includes the scene, told agents to keep their "hands off our people!" She called it an unprovoked assault on a neighborhood bike rider and said "ICE has no place terrorizing our streets."
The federal government, meanwhile, has said nothing. CNN reached out to DHS, the city, and Long Beach police; the Watchdog reported ICE and DHS didn't respond to its requests either.
Why It Matters
Leslie Gonzalez started a GoFundMe for her father's hospital bills and any legal costs. By Sunday midday it had raised $8,100, topping its $6,500 goal. "My Dad is one of the hardest working men out there," she wrote. "Our family is everything because of him."
The incident feeds a national fight over enforcement. CNN noted U.S. citizens keep getting swept into the administration's crackdown, sparking protests and lawsuits nationwide — see also our coverage of the Marble Hill ICE shooting fallout and Obama's rebuke of the DOJ's Omar investigation. Mayor Richardson also tied the operation's timing to the election calendar, warning of possible voter intimidation.
What Happens Next
The federal version of events is still missing — DHS and ICE haven't answered questions, and nobody has established what preceded the detention. The mayor's office wants answers, the family is focused on recovery and the bills, and donations keep coming in. Whether any formal investigation follows likely depends on whether federal officials speak at all.
Key Takeaways
- Ricardo Gonzalez, 40, a former Long Beach city employee, was injured Saturday during an ICE operation near Elm Avenue and 56th Street in North Long Beach.
- Police found him handcuffed and bleeding, removed his cuffs at a fire station, and fire crews took him to a hospital.
- His family and city officials describe him as a U.S. citizen; CNN said it was still verifying that.
- Rep. Garcia alleged agents "brutally attacked and broke" his arm — an allegation no official or medical source has confirmed.
- ICE requested the police response over reported vandalism and a medical emergency; agents later followed officers to the station lot and were told to leave.
- DHS and ICE haven't responded to questions, and what preceded the detention remains unknown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Ricardo Gonzalez?
Ricardo Gonzalez, 40, is a former City of Long Beach employee of about eight years — health department, then utilities — who left in September, per his daughter. His family says he was born in Hanford, California, and describes him as a U.S. citizen.
What happened in the Long Beach ICE incident?
On Saturday, October 17, ICE agents operated near Elm Avenue and 56th Street in North Long Beach. Residents called 911 about unmarked vehicles; ICE asked police for emergency help over reported vandalism and a medical emergency. Officers found Gonzalez handcuffed and bleeding amid a large disturbance and took him to a hospital. What preceded his detention is unknown.
Was Ricardo Gonzalez a U.S. citizen?
His daughter says he is a U.S. citizen born in Hanford, California, and the mayor said Gonzalez told him the same. Rep. Garcia and Councilwoman Thrash-Ntuk have also described him as a citizen. CNN reported it was still working to independently verify his citizenship status.
Did ICE break Ricardo Gonzalez's arm?
That is unconfirmed. In witness video, Gonzalez yells "Help me, my arm is broken" while handcuffed on the ground, and he appeared Sunday with his arm in a sling, per the Long Beach Watchdog. Rep. Garcia alleged agents broke it, but no official or medical source has confirmed a fracture.
Why did Long Beach police respond to an ICE operation?
Police say ICE requested emergency assistance over vehicle vandalism and a person needing medical aid. The department says it doesn't assist immigration enforcement but answered the emergency call, found Gonzalez handcuffed and bleeding, and got him medical care. It made no arrests.
What has ICE or Homeland Security said?
Nothing so far. The Long Beach Watchdog reported that ICE and DHS did not respond to its requests for comment, and CNN said it had reached out to DHS, the city of Long Beach, and Long Beach police for comment. Neither outlet has received a response.
What is the GoFundMe for Ricardo Gonzalez?
His daughter Leslie set it up to cover hospital bills and possible legal expenses. By Sunday midday it had raised $8,100, beating its $6,500 goal. She called her father "one of the hardest working men out there" and asked for support and prayers.
Sources
- CNN: US citizen injured during California ICE incident, officials say
- Long Beach Watchdog: ICE assaulted a Long Beach resident, causing serious injuries, family says
- GlobalDeskNews: Obama Calls Omar Investigation 'Appalling' in Raid Rebuke
- GlobalDeskNews: Marble Hill ICE Shooting: What We Know After Friday's Fallout
- GlobalDeskNews: US Ends 540-Day Automatic Work Permit Extension