A Los Angeles resident was sentenced on Aug. 3 to 37 months in federal prison for pouring lighter fluid onto a burning California Highway Patrol vehicle and throwing an electric scooter over a freeway overpass near officers during an anti-immigration law enforcement riot in downtown Los Angeles last year.
Yachua Mauricio Flores, 23, who is from Mexico and lived in the Lincoln Heights area, received the sentence from United States District Judge John F. Walter, who also ordered him to pay $253,415 in restitution. Flores pleaded guilty on April 27 to one count of obstructing, impeding, and interfering with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder.
“Violent attacks on law enforcement will result in federal prison time,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Those who escalate chaos and endanger officers will be held accountable. Today’s sentence reflects our commitment to protecting the men and women sworn to keep our communities safe.”
According to his plea agreement, Flores participated in a riot on June 8, 2025, at the Main Street overpass of U.S. Highway 101 where law enforcement officers were trapped below as protesters threw rocks, concrete chunks, scooters, street signs, fireworks, and burning debris at them. Flores poured lighter fluid from two bottles onto a burning CHP vehicle and directed another individual who lit additional liquid on fire before pouring it onto the same vehicle. Minutes later, he joined another person in throwing an electric scooter over the railing near CHP vehicles and officers below. He admitted knowing that these actions created a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury for the officers under the freeway.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case with help from the California Highway Patrol and Los Angeles Police Department.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California serves more than 19 million residents across seven counties; it focuses on prosecuting federal criminal cases as well as handling civil matters for the government while working with federal, state and local partners to ensure public safety through community outreach programs focused on victim assistance and public education, according to its official website.