Judge dismisses criminal case against TikTok streamer held in immigration detention

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed a criminal case against a popular Los Angeles TikTok streamer, citing constitutional violations after his lawyers were denied access to him while he was in immigration detention.

U.S. District Judge Fernando Olguin issued a ruling Saturday dismissing an indictment against Carlitos Ricardo Parias, who is known for documenting police and immigration enforcement activity online. Parias’ rights were violated when federal authorities repeatedly failed to allow his criminal defense lawyers to visit or speak with him in immigration detention so he could prepare for trial this week, Olguin wrote, adding that the dismissal was with prejudice, which prevents the government from refiling the same charges against him again.

“In short, the government’s failure to coordinate the overlapping actions of its separate agencies while relentlessly pursuing Mr. Parias’s criminal proceedings created a situation from which constitutional violations could — and did — occur,” Olguin wrote.

The U.S. Attorney’s office in Los Angeles said in a statement that the agency is evaluating its options for appeal. “We strongly disagree with the court’s version of the facts as well as its legal conclusions,” the statement said.

Parias was indicted last month and pleaded not guilty to charges of assault on a federal officer using a deadly or dangerous weapon and depredation of government property.

The charges stemmed from an October incident in which federal authorities said Parias rammed his vehicle into theirs while they tried to arrest him on an immigration warrant and shot him in the elbow. Parias was released on bond pending his trial and taken to an immigration detention facility in Adelanto, California, where he remained Monday, according to the government’s online database. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility is about 70 miles (113 kilometers) northeast of downtown Los Angeles and run by The GEO Group.

U.S. authorities say Parias is a Mexican citizen living in the country illegally. A message seeking comment was left for immigration attorney Carlos Jurado.

Parias is well-known in South Los Angeles for his Spanish-language videos posted on TikTok on two accounts with more than 340,000 combined followers. Videos on his page dating back to 2024 document police activity, car accidents and fires, as well as tortilla-making and rainy days in Los Angeles. This year, the footage has also focused on demonstrations against immigration enforcement and arrests by federal deportation authorities.

Parias is one of many social media users who post about immigration raids and arrests across Southern California, often relaying information in real time to alert community members. He was hospitalized initially after he was shot during his October arrest.