Six men pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court after prosecutors said they hurled rocks, fireworks, and burning debris from the Main Street overpass onto California Highway Patrol officers and a CHP patrol SUV on the US‑101 in downtown Los Angeles. Prosecutors say the barrage left officers temporarily pinned beneath the bridge and a patrol vehicle in flames during anti‑immigration‑enforcement protests on June 8, 2025.
Video from the scene shows people on the overpass throwing objects down at officers and vehicles below, and prosecutors say at least one defendant later posted footage to his social account, according to NBC Los Angeles. The outlet also reported that city officials subsequently declared parts of downtown an unlawful assembly and imposed a limited curfew after vandalism and looting the following day.
Guilty Pleas And The Charges On The Table
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, federal prosecutors secured guilty pleas from Ismael Vega, Balton Montion, Junior Roldan, Adam Charles Palermo, Yachua Mauricio Flores, and Ronald Alexis Coreas in connection with the overpass incident. Three of the defendants pleaded guilty to felony counts of “obstructing, impeding, and interfering with law enforcement during a civil disorder,” Palermo admitted to a felony assault charge involving a deadly or dangerous weapon, and two men entered guilty pleas to misdemeanor simple‑assault counts, as detailed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
How Prosecutors Say The Overpass Attack Played Out
Court filings and prosecutors describe what they say was a coordinated push from the Main Street overpass. Some defendants allegedly gathered cardboard, vegetation, and fireworks, lit them, and dropped burning material over the railing toward a CHP vehicle parked below. Others are accused of throwing rocks at officers who were trying to clear the bridge. The U.S. Attorney’s Office says one defendant poured a liquid that intensified the fire, and that the patrol vehicle eventually caught flame as officers were forced to shelter near the freeway.
Earlier Arrest And Law‑Enforcement Response
The California Highway Patrol had previously announced an arrest in the case, saying detectives identified and later arrested Adam Palermo after reviewing video and serving a search warrant at his residence, where they reported finding evidence of the attack. In a news release, the agency stressed that it would pursue anyone who targets officers, and CHP leadership was quoted as underscoring that assaults on first responders would not be tolerated.
The Federal Law Behind The Case
Several of the guilty pleas rely on a federal civil‑disorder statute that applies when actions obstruct or interfere with officers during violent public disturbances. The law, 18 U.S.C. § 231(a)(3), makes it a crime to obstruct, impede, or interfere with law enforcement during a civil disorder and carries a statutory maximum of five years in prison for that count, according to the text of the U.S. Code as compiled by the Legal Information Institute at Cornell Law School.
What Happens Next In Court
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says sentencing hearings are set for the coming months before U.S. District Judge John F. Walter, and it outlined the statutory maximums on the table: Palermo faces up to 20 years in prison; Vega, Montion, and Flores each face up to five years; and Roldan and Coreas face up to one year. The office also noted that the FBI investigated the case with assistance from the CHP and the Los Angeles Police Department as the matter moved into federal court…