Rally calls for release of beloved ice cream vendor taken by federal agents in Culver City
CULVER CITY, Calif. (KABC) -- Family members and other demonstrators on Sunday held a rally in Culver City where they called for the release of a beloved ice cream vendor who was taken by federal agents.
The rally was held at Veterans Park in support of Ambrocio Lozano, who is known in the community as Enrique.
"This is inhuman, what's happening to a lot of people," Lozano's niece Kimberly Noriega said. "It's not OK."
Lozano was allegedly taken into custody by masked agents last week. His family said he was detained outside of Resurrection Church on Culver Boulevard, just east of the 405 Freeway, near where he was working.
His loved ones later learned that he was being held at a local detention center.
"Enrique was not just a business owner, not just a seller of paletas, but he was a family member -- an extended family to all of Culver City," Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, whose district includes part of Culver City, said at the demonstration. "And he was snatched. He was kidnapped by folks masked in unmarked cars, with no warrants, with no one's name on them.
"He was put in a detention center and not given a locator number, which means he was disappeared in the system," the congresswoman said.
According to Lozano's family, he is originally from Mexico but has lived in South Los Angeles for the past two decades.
Ice cream was sold at Sunday's rally to help raise money for Lozano's release on bond. An online fundraiser was also launched, and as of Monday afternoon it had raised more than $71,000.
