Two women were convicted in federal court of stalking a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent and livestreaming themselves as they followed him to his home in Southern California.
Cynthia Raygoza, 38, of Riverside, and Ashleigh Brown, 38, of Colorado, were found guilty Friday. They each face up to five years in federal prison. Sentencing is scheduled for June 8.
A third defendant, Sandra Carmona Samane, 25, was acquitted of both charges. Raygoza and Brown were also found not guilty of one count of conspiracy to publicly disclose the personal information of a federal agent.
Incident Details
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the women followed the ICE agent from downtown Los Angeles to his home on Aug. 28 and broadcast the pursuit on Instagram Live.
Prosecutors said the women provided directions to the agent’s home during the livestream and shouted to neighbors that an ICE agent lived in the area. Authorities also said they yelled slurs at the agent’s wife.
The agent and his family later relocated to another county due to increased traffic and attention at their home, prosecutors said.
Statement from Prosecutors
“Justice has been served against two agitators who stalked a federal employee, livestreamed it on social media, and traumatized both the victim and his family,” said Bill Essayli, First Assistant U.S. Attorney. “Our Constitution protects peaceful protest — not political violence and unlawful intimidation.”
The case was prosecuted in federal court.