California mayor accused of stalking a hairdresser she thought was an ICE agent

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Set us as preferred The mayor of the small Central Valley farm town of Kerman pulled up to a bakery, her cellphone camera recording, and confronted federal immigration agents conducting an early-morning operation in which multiple people were detained.“You’re not welcome in my city,” Maria Pacheco told the masked agents, identifying herself as the mayor.“You’ve taken enough people yesterday.

We don’t want you here.You need to leave.” As the men wearing U.S.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement vests drove away, she shouted: “How can you make a living kidnapping people? How can you sleep at night doing what you’re doing? ...You are a sorry piece of sh—!” Pacheco, who is running for a seat on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, posted video of the Oct.

8 confrontation in Kerman — a mostly Latino city of 17,000 west of Fresno — on social media, labeling it: “Mayor Maria Pacheco Stands Up to ICE.” The footage went viral.TikTok commentators praised her bravery.

Comedian and actor George Lopez posted about it on Facebook — writing, “We need more politicians like Maria Pacheco!” — and she shared her campaign fundraising link in the comments.A few days later, Pacheco allegedly drove through Fresno, closely following a vehicle driven by a man she assumed was an ICE agent.Except, he wasn’t one.Eric Bridges, a Fresno hairdresser, has accused Pacheco of closely trailing him in an orange Nissan Altima for more than 20 minutes on Oct.

14 and taking photos of his vehicles as she followed him to his sister’s house.California Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias said the enforcement operations led to a drop in school attendance and sparked student protests Friday.“I’m looking for ICE, and you look like ICE,” Pacheco told him, according to a signed statement submitted to the Fresno Coun...