Viral video falsely IDs California bail bondsman as ICE, accuses him of stealing truck

A viral video in which a man was accused of being an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who allegedly stole a pickup after detaining an Anaheim man actually depicted a bail bondsman who detained a fugitive and took his truck because there was a lien, authorities said on Sunday, Dec. 7.

The case was unrelated to immigration, they said.

Anaheim city spokesman Mike Lyster said the city was aware that the bail bondsman would be operating in the western part of the city on Dec. 2 to take a man into custody for whom the bondsman had posted bail.

After taking the truck, the agent drove it to a Lion’s Den gym in Pomona, where he was met by protesters who had a camera and a bullhorn, Lyster said. Why he drove it to the gym was not known.

Anaheim officials saw the live videos on TikTok and notified Pomona police, who responded to the location and confirmed it was the bail bondsman working a criminal matter, Lyster said.

The video, which also was posted on Reddit and received thousands of interactions, shows a man in a tank top and jeans standing at the back of a gray truck, while the man filming him accuses him of stealing the truck.

A caption, in part, made mention of the man being an ICE agent “fleeing in their stolen truck.”

However, Lyster said there was a lien on the truck that was likely tied to the bond.

Information about the man who was detained and his court case was not known.

Lyster said the city tracks law enforcement activity to determine whether it is immigration-related or not and provides timely updates on its website.

On the website, the city urges residents to “Be aware of and know local enforcement,” adding that agencies like Anaheim police, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol and other local and regional agencies are not involved in immigration enforcement.