ICE agents target well-known Studio City car wash, taking several workers into custody

STUDIO CITY, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Angry community members confronted federal agents as they stormed a car wash in Studio City on Friday, and it was all caught on video.

Longtime customers told Eyewitness News they were shocked by what they saw.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted a morning raid at the business, taking several workers into custody in front of stunned customers.

ICE was apparently following up on a promise to ramp up immigration sweeps across Southern California. In addition to the car wash, agents were also seen at a Home Depot in Pomona on Friday.

"They literally just stole somebody!" a witness said in one of the videos of the incident.

"People are screaming at the ICE people, cursing at them and yelling at them," said witness Jay Schwartz. "They're wearing masks. They're wearing bulletproof vests. They have their long guns. They have their pistols, and they're chasing and yelling at everybody."

Studio City Hand Car Wash is well-known in the community. It has been in business on Ventura Boulevard for more than 30 years.

Several workers were chased down, taken into custody and loaded into vehicles by masked agents during Friday's operation.

Owner Ben Forat said he was shocked by the raid.

"Hard-working guys that worked here for a few years, some of them," Forat said. " Always show up to work. They don't drink, they don't do drugs, they don't steal. They're good guys. It's a sad day."

According to the Department of Homeland Security, four people from Guatemala and Mexico were arrested during the Studio City Operation.

Federal agents also conducted an enforcement operation at a Home Depot in Pomona.

"U.S. Border Patrol conducted a targeted immigration enforcement operation at Home Depot in Pomona, California, that resulted in the arrest of three illegal aliens from Guatemala and Mexico," DHS said in a statement. "Misael Feliciano-Lopez, an illegal alien from Mexico, was previously convicted of felony inflicting corporal injury on a spouse and arrested for DUI."

The Pomona Home Depot has been raided by ICE multiple times. SoCal car washes have also been frequent targets.

Democratic State Senator Susan Rubio condemned the operations.

"I am devastated that four Home Depot day laborers were taken this morning in Pomona. These are hardworking people, simply seeking the opportunity to provide for their families. Raids like this do nothing but terrorize communities and punish those who contribute to our economy. Families are being destroyed in the process, and children are left alone, crying and wondering if they'll ever see their parents again," Rubio wrote in a statement. "As a Senator, I will continue to fight to ensure that all families are treated with dignity and respect. This must stop."