Federal immigration enforcement agents detained and allegedly injured an adult special-education Santa Maria High School student Wednesday morning while he was en route to school.

The student was identified to Noozhawk as Erick Zepeda, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen, by his former special education teacher, Glenn Goldin. 

Goldin, who described himself as Zepeda’s mentor and father figure, sat down with his former student Thursday morning. Zepeda recounted the incident to him over breakfast and “broke down,” Goldin said.

“He really did think they were going to kill him,” Goldin told Noozhawk, overcome with emotion. 

Goldin told Noozhawk that Zepeda was detained at around 6:45 a.m. Wednesday by two agents wearing “Police” and “ICE” vests who exited a black SUV at the corner of Enos Drive and Broadway.

The incident left Zepeda with a wrist broken in two places, a black eye and lacerations, Goldin said. 

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) representative confirmed to Noozhawk that the agents temporarily detained an individual in Santa Maria Wednesday but did not name the person. 

A spokesperson also denied the claim that the individual suffered broken bones, calling it “FALSE” in an emailed statement. 

The spokesperson said the individual never requested medical assistance during the incident. 

ICE agents were conducting a “targeted enforcement operation in Santa Maria” when they encountered someone they believed matched the description of who they were looking for, a spokesperson told Noozhawk Friday.

The ICE spokesperson alleged the “individual resisted officers” and “refused lawful commands and assumed a fighting stance with clenched fists.”

“They relied on their training to safely control the situation until they could confirm his identity, whereupon he was released,” the spokesperson added.

Santa Maria Joint Union High School District’s spokesperson Kenny Klein on Thursday confirmed that ICE agents detained a student on Wednesday while the student was on their way to school.

The school district did not share the student’s identity but confirmed the person was detained and then released one-half mile from the high school campus at 901 S Broadway.

The student continued walking to school, where school administrators called an ambulance, and the student was transported to the hospital, Klein said.

Goldin said school administration called an ambulance upon seeing his injuries, and that the Santa Maria Police Department also responded to the school.

Afterwards, Zepeda was taken to Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, and his group home manager told Goldin about the student’s broken wrist that reportedly needed surgery, according to Goldin.

Goldin said there are photographs of  Zepeda’s injuries, including a black eye and some lacerations.

Klein said the Santa Maria Police Department “confirmed” it notified “all appropriate agencies,” including the District Attorney, the California Attorney General, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement through the Los Angeles Office.

A Santa Maria police spokesperson told Noozhawk on Thursday that the department would not comment and also directed any requests for comment to ICE.

Klein also said the school community was notified of the immigration enforcement-related detention.

Student Recounts Getting Detained

Goldin is a former Santa Maria High School special education teacher who taught Zepeda for the last two years and heard of the arrest from other former students. 

He said the 20-year-old, who lives in a group home, has “enunciation problems” and “trouble expressing himself.” 

Special education students can remain in high school until they are 22 years old, according to Goldin.

Goldin recalled feeling “horrified” while hearing his former student recount the story.

“For me, as a special education teacher, it’s triply horrifying because it took us a year to convince him that he could walk to school by himself, that he didn’t have to get in a shitty yellow school bus that made him feel different,” he said. 

Goldin said Zepeda has “a weird gait,” and “he couldn’t protect himself” when the agents allegedly tackled him to the ground. 

The ICE agents then handcuffed Zepeda while he repeatedly told them, “You’re hurting me,” before loading him into the vehicle, Goldin said. 

Once loaded into the vehicle, the agents reportedly asked Zepeda about his identity while they circled the block for a brief time before releasing the 20-year-old back to the site where he was detained, Goldin added.  

Community Backlash to Incident 

Local immigrant activists and community groups, including 805UndocuFund, have planned a protest for Saturday at 5 p.m. at 625 S. McClelland Ave. 

Santa Maria City Council member Gloria Soto denounced the Wednesday incident on social media. 

She said in a statement on Thursday that the student was racially profiled by ICE. 

“This is unacceptable. Our children should never have to fear for their safety in their own community,” she wrote.  

Soto also said she called the city mayor, Alice Patino, and requested she call a special Santa Maria City Council meeting “to address this incident.”

“To my colleagues who remain silent: Where is your leadership? Our community deserves accountability, not silence.”

No Santa Maria City Council meeting was scheduled as of Friday morning. 

Soto has been vocal in condemning local ICE activity. 

Most recently, she spoke out against the federal agency in Santa Maria amid a surge in activity that immigrant activists say is linked to a statewide immigration operation.

Congressman Salud Carbajal also took to social media Friday to call the incident “outrageous.”

“Our schools must remain safe places for students and families, free from fear, intimidation, and racial profiling,” he wrote.