His sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 7, where he could potentially face up to 20 years in federal prison.
A California man pleaded guilty Tuesday to throwing chunks of concrete at government vehicles with federal immigration officers inside, injuring one, during riots last year in Los Angeles.
Elpidio Reyna, 41, faces up to 20 years in federal prison for one felony count of assault on a federal officer by dangerous weapon resulting in injury, the Department of Justice said in a news release.
A joint immigration enforcement operation was underway on June 7, 2025, near a Home Depot in Paramount, California, when Reyna and others lit objects on fire in the streets and hurled rocks at a passing law enforcement convoy, according to the news release.
“This defendant could have easily killed a federal officer or innocent bystander,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in the news release.
Reyna found out “the hard way” what happens when one commits violence against or impedes federal agents, Essayli said.
Defense attorney Marilyn Bednarski did not immediately respond to a request for comment on her client’s guilty plea.
The plea agreement states Reyna intentionally lit objects on fire and threw rocks at the convoy with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers inside. One of the rocks shattered a window and cut an agent’s forehead.
“Violence against law enforcement is not constitutionally protected and will be met with swift justice,” Essayli said. “Those who engage in similar violence will be arrested, charged, and eventually convicted in a court of law.”
Reyna was initially on the run after the June 2025 riot in California and wanted by the FBI. The agency offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
“The [FBI] will never tolerate violence against those who serve and protect this country,” Director Kash Patel said last summer.
On July 23, 2025, he was taken into federal custody at the U.S.–Mexico border after hiding out in Mexico, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said in a post on X at the time.
He was taken into custody by a border patrol officer who was inside one of the damaged vehicles during the incident last summer, Essayli said.
“To anyone who thinks they can attack federal officers and hide behind a mask or helmet, Reyna’s arrest today proves we can find and charge anyone who violates federal law,” Essayli wrote on X. “Don’t touch our officers.”
By Troy Myers
