Monrovia Community Demands Answers on ICE-Related Death
Community members gathered near the Monrovia Home Depot on Saturday to mark one year since Carlos Roberto Montoya Valdez died while fleeing immigration agents. The 52-year-old father of four from Guatemala was remembered at a vigil that became a march to the store's front doors.
Organizers and State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez highlighted SB 1103, the REPAIR Act, which would require large retailers to disclose immigration enforcement activity and share footage with families. The bill was stalled in committee but is expected to be reintroduced next year.
The community has been visiting the Home Depot parking lot daily, serving as legal observers for day laborers who gather there. They are calling for answers about Montoya's death and demanding that Home Depot release security video footage of the incident to his family.