‘Lord, please protect me’: Viral livestream captures moment federal agents shatter woman’s car window during ICE detention in California

A woman’s frantic livestream from a Southern California petrol station has ignited fresh debate over federal immigration enforcement, after footage showed agents smashing her car window and detaining her as she pleaded for help. The incident, captured in real time and shared widely online, has since become a flashpoint in conversations about power, accountability and fear on American streets.

Maria Santay, a US citizen and community observer, was livestreaming from an El Monte Chevron station when federal immigration agents surrounded her vehicle. Viewers watched in shock as an officer used a hammer to break her car window while she cried out that she was a citizen and begged for protection. Moments later, the glass shattered, and Santay was taken into custody.



Released later that evening, Santay described the experience as terrifying. She said she genuinely feared she might not survive the encounter, recalling the moment as one where she believed her life was about to end. Her distress, clearly audible in the livestream, resonated with thousands who later watched the footage.



Santay believes she was targeted because of her role as a community observer who monitors immigration activity. She said the detention was preceded by what she described as an intimidation encounter two days earlier, when agents stopped her near the 10 Freeway and issued what she interpreted as a warning. Video from that moment shows someone telling her it was her first warning, a remark that has since fuelled further scrutiny.



On the day of the detention, Santay said agents boxed in her car from multiple directions as she continued to stream live. El Monte police officers arrived at the scene but did not intervene. According to Santay, federal agents placed her in their vehicle and drove her for hours, eventually heading towards Santa Ana before releasing her later that afternoon. The charges listed included resisting arrest.



She also alleged degrading treatment following her release, claiming she was denied access to a restroom and forced to relieve herself outside while still in handcuffs. The account has intensified criticism from civil rights advocates and local residents. In a statement, the El Monte Police Department said officers responded to a request from Customs and Border Protection to ensure public safety but were not involved in the federal operation itself. Customs and Border Protection has yet to publicly comment on the incident.



By Friday night, anger over the livestream spilled onto the streets. Protesters gathered outside the El Monte police station, ringing cowbells and honking car horns in a show of solidarity. Despite the trauma she described earlier in the day, Santay joined the demonstration, saying she would rather agents spend time detaining her than harming others on the street.



A GoFundMe campaign has since been launched to help cover Santay’s legal expenses and the cost of repairing her damaged vehicle. Meanwhile, the video continues to circulate online, prompting renewed questions about the treatment of civilians during federal operations and the blurred lines between immigration enforcement and civil liberties.

What began as a routine livestream has now become a powerful symbol for critics of aggressive enforcement tactics, leaving many to ask how such encounters can occur in plain sight, and what protections truly exist for those caught in their path.