A dimwitted career criminal hurled Molotov cocktails at agents guarding a federal immigration facility in Los Angeles while shouting anti-ICE comments from the sidewalk outside the building — but neglected to ignite the bottles first.
Jose Francisco Jovel, 54, who has a criminal history spanning nearly four decades, was arrested after the incident at the Los Angeles Federal Building Monday, and continued spewing anti-ICE sentiment, including that he wanted to blow up the building and “spray down” all of the officers.
“This was a clear and deliberate attack on federal law enforcement, and it is emblematic of the constant attacks these brave men and women endure day in and day out as they put their lives on the line to arrest murderers, rapists, and gang members,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a Homeland Security statement.
He had several other Molotov cocktails in his possession, as well as four knives and a Leatherman multi-tool, authorities said. Because the bottles were not lit, they never caught fire, and there were no injuries or damage to federal property.
Jovel’s past crimes include an attempted murder charge in 1987, an armed robbery charge in 1991 and a charge of annoying or molesting a victim under 18 in 2007.
Jovel is also suspected of igniting a fire at his own Koreatown apartment, the Los Angeles Times reported. --->READ MORE HERE
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| Al Seib / Los Angeles Times |
Federal prosecutors on Tuesday charged a Koreatown man with throwing Molotov cocktails at security officers inside a downtown Los Angeles federal building in an attack seeking to target immigration officials headquartered there.
Jose Francisco Jovel, 54, was arrested Monday on suspicion of tossing two improvised explosive devices into the building toward federal security officers about 8:20 a.m. There was charring and burning where the first device landed, according to an affidavit from an FBI special agent. No one was injured.
Prosecutors charged Jovel with attempted malicious damage of federal property, with an investigator saying he told them it was a “a terrorist attack” that he was carrying out because “you’re separating families,” an apparent reference to immigration officials’ detention of family members.
Jovel confessed to having set his Koreatown apartment on fire four hours earlier after receiving an eviction notice, according to the affidavit filed in federal court. Then he headed to the federal building at 300 N. Los Angeles St. on his bicycle, carrying multiple shopping bags.
While standing at the base of the stairs outside the building’s main entrance, Jovel reached into one of the bags on his bicycle’s handlebars and tossed a Molotov cocktail through the building’s sliding door, the affidavit said. The entrance is marked as an employee entrance, and the doors automatically open.
Jovel then threw another device through the open door of the federal building’s public entrance, where people were waiting in line to go through security to enter the building, according to the FBI investigator’s affidavit.
Investigators examined security video that they said revealed Jovel attempted to light at least one of the devices he tossed.
Federal security officers immediately arrested Jovel, then searched the bags and found a lighter and five more firebomb devices.
The federal building houses Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Jovel told authorities he was motivated by his anger at the federal government’s immigration policies and actions, the affidavit said. --->READ MORE HERE
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