Federal Charge Filed After Patterson Incident Involving Federal Agents

Federal prosecutors have charged Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, 36, a national of El Salvador, with assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon following an incident during an attempted arrest in Patterson.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, federal agents attempted to stop Hernandez near an Interstate 5 on-ramp on April 7 during an enforcement operation.

Authorities say Hernandez initially pulled over but refused commands to exit the vehicle. Prosecutors allege he then drove forward, striking a federal agent with his car, before reversing into a law enforcement vehicle behind him.

Officials say Hernandez then accelerated toward agents standing in front of the vehicle, forcing one officer to jump out of the way. He then drove across a median and briefly traveled the wrong direction toward the freeway before stopping.

During the confrontation, federal agents fired their weapons. Hernandez was struck multiple times but survived and was taken to a hospital. He was later taken into FBI custody on April 13.

If convicted, Hernandez faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Federal officials note the charge is an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

These charges are separate from the incident in El Salvador that ICE alleges they were arresting him for to begin with. #patterson #ice #california #elsalvador