Man repeatedly hit with baton by masked federal agent in Santa Ana

Witnesses used a cellphone to capture another violent confrontation with what appears to be masked federal agents in Santa Ana a little more than a week after the father of three U.S. Marines was seen beaten into submission.  

This incident, less than two and a half miles from where Narciso Barranco, a landscaper, was repeatedly struck and arrested after federal authorities claim he assaulted them with a weed trimmer, reportedly unfolded at around 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the intersection of Warner Avenue and Main Street.  

In footage of the alleged immigration enforcement operation, one man is seen on the ground in the middle of the street with two federal officers over him.  

Nearby, another four agents are seen in subduing another man, violently forcing him to the ground while one of the officers repeatedly strikes the man with a baton.  

“Why are they hitting him like that?” one of the witnesses watching from inside a vehicle can be heard saying.  

As more witnesses arrive, some driving by and honking their horns, two agents move toward a man who walks up and begins hurling questions and insults at one of the them. One of those agents is seen holding his baton out horizontally as a blockade while officers behind him continue to take the two subjects into custody.  

What happened before witnesses began filming the incident is unknown at this time, but in the last few seconds of the footage both men are seen in cuffs as they were being led away by federal law enforcement.  

Monday afternoon, federal officials issued a statement to KTLA regarding the incident.

In that statement, they identified one of those detained as “Apoloniol Arreola-Solario, a Mexican national illegally present in the United States.”

“Arreola fled on foot for roughly a quarter mile before agents were able to try to arrest him,” the statement said. “A violent mob then began pummeling law enforcement with rocks. One individual also assaulted agents in an attempt to prevent the arrest of Arreola while another started kicking the doors of the officer’s vehicle. All subjects were placed under arrest and transported to the Santa Ana Detention Facility.”

There have been multiple reports of federal enforcement operations in and around Santa Ana.  

In a statement released late last week, authorities at the Santa Ana Police Department urged residents to contact them if they see abandoned property, such as vehicles, food vendor supplies or other items, that they believe may belong to someone detained by federal agents.