A Los Angeles tow truck driver is charged with theft of government property after U.S. authorities say he towed a federal law enforcement vehicle during the arrest of popular TikTok personality Tatiana Mafla-Martinez, 24. The suspect, identified as Bobby Nunez, 33, stands accused of interfering with an immigration enforcement operation in downtown LA when he towed away a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) SUV that agents used to box in Martinez’s car during her apprehension on Aug. 15, as stated in a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
According to the DOJ, the ICE vehicle had a gun and the keys inside when it was towed outside an apartment complex.
Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.
Point phone camera here
Nunez was found by authorities two days after the incident and faces up to a decade behind bars if found guilty.
The arrest operation
According to court documents, Nunez is accused of interfering with federal agents while they arrested Martinez, who is a Colombian national. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accuses Martinez of illegally entering the country in 2022 and said she had a prior DUI conviction.
The DOJ said that both federal law enforcement vehicles had their emergency lights on during the operation.
Martinez was live on TikTok
Martinez was live on TikTok at the time of her arrest, and the video soon went viral. Video from bystanders showed agents pulling Martinez out of her car by her legs and arms. Federal authorities accused Martinez of not complying with orders.
Martinez’s attorney, Carlos Jurado, told ABC7 that the reason she didn’t listen to orders to get out of the vehicle was that she was scared.
“These are masked men, and they said they had a warrant. She wanted them to display it. ‘Show me the warrant,’ and they never displayed anything,” Jurado said.
He added that he believes Martinez was targeted because of her use of TikTok to film ICE operations in LA. In one case, she filmed the arrest of a strawberry delivery driver.
The affidavit said that while agents were distracted by another man who approached them during the arrest, Nunez got in his tow truck and carried off an ICE SUV that had been blocking Martinez’s car.
Trump administration responds
“During the arrest, an individual unlawfully towed a government police vehicle,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek. “He mocked and videotaped ICE officers chasing after him. Secretary Noem has been clear. Anyone who seeks to impede law enforcement will be found and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli also commented on the incident in a social media post.
“Bobby Nunez is now under arrest for brazenly towing an ICE vehicle,” Essayli wrote. “He is charged with theft of government property. Apparently, he thought it would be funny to interfere with our immigration enforcement operations. Now he can laugh behind bars while he faces justice.”
Nunez’s bond was set at $10,000 on Tuesday, but he did not enter a plea in the case.
