Democrats and immigrant rights activists are angry at federal agents after a Latino father in Los Angeles was arrested and separated from his toddler, who was later found with a dirty nappy, a bruise on her face and signs of a rash.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rejected accusations of misconduct and said that the man himself endangered the child.
The incident took place in a Home Depot car park in the Cypress Park area, where US Customs and Border Protection agents carried out an operation targeting undocumented immigrants. Witnesses said officers detained 32-year-old Dennis Quiñonez while his daughter remained strapped in her car seat inside the vehicle, reports the New York Times.
What shocked onlookers was what happened next. After Quiñonez was taken to another vehicle, an armed agent climbed into the driver’s seat of his Chevy hatchback, and another agent got in beside him. “There’s a baby in the back!” someone shouted. Moments later, the agents drove away with the toddler still inside.
The child was later picked up by her grandmother, who told reporters she found the girl distressed and uncomfortable. MSNBC correspondent Jacob Soboroff reported that the man who collected the child described her condition in blunt terms. “When I picked up my granddaughter from the federal agents, she had a dirty diaper, a bruise on her face, and was developing a rash. She was exhausted and cried… My heart aches knowing this could happen to others, to my kids, or even me, despite being U.S. citizens.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom called the incident “sick” and demanded answers about how federal officers handled the toddler and why they transported her without any child welfare officials present.
DHS officials hit back immediately. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary at the agency, accused Newsom of spreading misinformation and defended the officers’ actions.
She posted on X: “You’re peddling lies and glorifying a man who abandoned his own child in a vehicle to go and attack federal law enforcement, wielding a hammer and throwing rocks at law enforcement,” she said. She added that a stolen pistol was found inside his car and that he had an active warrant. “Law enforcement rightly looked over the child until they were in the safe custody of a guardian.”
According to a federal affidavit, Quiñonez was charged with illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition due to a previous domestic violence conviction. DHS says he approached agents holding a hammer, threw two “rock-like” objects and created a dangerous environment for his daughter.
Immigrant rights groups say the case shows agents are stretching legal boundaries. They argue that transporting a toddler in a detainee’s vehicle, without notifying child welfare services, breaks long-standing procedures used by other federal and local agencies.
Quiñonez was freed on bond and is due in court on December 1. His family says the toddler is recovering, though still asking for her father.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rejected accusations of misconduct and said that the man himself endangered the child.
The incident took place in a Home Depot car park in the Cypress Park area, where US Customs and Border Protection agents carried out an operation targeting undocumented immigrants. Witnesses said officers detained 32-year-old Dennis Quiñonez while his daughter remained strapped in her car seat inside the vehicle, reports the New York Times.
You’re peddling lies and glorifying a man who abandoned his own child in a vehicle to go and attack federal law enforcement, wielding a hammer and throwing rocks at law enforcement.
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) November 9, 2025
When he was arrested for assault they found a pistol in his car that was reported stolen out of…
What shocked onlookers was what happened next. After Quiñonez was taken to another vehicle, an armed agent climbed into the driver’s seat of his Chevy hatchback, and another agent got in beside him. “There’s a baby in the back!” someone shouted. Moments later, the agents drove away with the toddler still inside.
The child was later picked up by her grandmother, who told reporters she found the girl distressed and uncomfortable. MSNBC correspondent Jacob Soboroff reported that the man who collected the child described her condition in blunt terms. “When I picked up my granddaughter from the federal agents, she had a dirty diaper, a bruise on her face, and was developing a rash. She was exhausted and cried… My heart aches knowing this could happen to others, to my kids, or even me, despite being U.S. citizens.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom called the incident “sick” and demanded answers about how federal officers handled the toddler and why they transported her without any child welfare officials present.
DHS officials hit back immediately. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary at the agency, accused Newsom of spreading misinformation and defended the officers’ actions.
She posted on X: “You’re peddling lies and glorifying a man who abandoned his own child in a vehicle to go and attack federal law enforcement, wielding a hammer and throwing rocks at law enforcement,” she said. She added that a stolen pistol was found inside his car and that he had an active warrant. “Law enforcement rightly looked over the child until they were in the safe custody of a guardian.”
According to a federal affidavit, Quiñonez was charged with illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition due to a previous domestic violence conviction. DHS says he approached agents holding a hammer, threw two “rock-like” objects and created a dangerous environment for his daughter.
Immigrant rights groups say the case shows agents are stretching legal boundaries. They argue that transporting a toddler in a detainee’s vehicle, without notifying child welfare services, breaks long-standing procedures used by other federal and local agencies.
Quiñonez was freed on bond and is due in court on December 1. His family says the toddler is recovering, though still asking for her father.
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