The U.S. Department of Justice has begun filing federal charges against individuals involved in organizing the riots and unrest that have gripped Los Angeles nearly every night for the past two weeks.
Earlier this week, Bill Essayli, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, announced federal charges against a man who distributed boxes of heavy-duty face shields during the most violent night of rioting on June 9. Video footage from a local Fox affiliate shows the man delivering the protective gear from a black pickup truck to rioters.
“No, those are masks. So people are prepping for some sort of altercation with police as we speak,” Fox Los Angeles reporter Matthew Seedorff remarked at the time. “You probably don’t put on a mask unless you have a plan of not wanting somebody to see your face.”
On June 12, agents from the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office arrested Alejandro Theodoro Orellana, identified as the driver of the pickup truck. Orellana was charged with Conspiracy to Commit Civil Disorders (18 USC 371) for distributing face shields to suspected rioters, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli announced on X. “We are moving quickly to identify and arrest those involved in organizing and/or supporting civil disorder in Los Angeles,” he added.
The DOJ also announced charges against Adam Palermo, 39, accused of throwing large rocks and explosive devices at police officers on the U.S. Route 101 Freeway on June 9. Palermo faces four felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer, as well as felony charges of arson and vandalism in Los Angeles.
According to Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, on June 8 at approximately 7 p.m., Palermo allegedly threw a large rock at a California Highway Patrol vehicle from an overpass above the 101 Freeway. He is also accused of igniting an object and throwing it onto a CHP SUV parked on the freeway, which subsequently caught fire.
Palermo is also facing federal charges related to the incident, as announced by Essayli at a press conference. Palermo posted images on his social media account containing a collage of photos and videos showing damage to California Highway Patrol cars with a caption reading, “All of the protests I’ve been involved in, which is well over 100 now, I’m most proud of what I did today,” Essayli said.