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Federal agents arrest man after brazen crash in Boyle Heights; DHS calls it ‘targeted arrest’
Screenshot of surveillance footage showing an SUV ramming into a white sedan as a pickup truck drives up to block the vehicle.
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Courtesy Rudy’s Bargain store
)
This story was originally published by Boyle Heights Beat on June 11, 2025.
A man was taken into custody in Boyle Heights Wednesday following a brazen collision involving federal agents, in what the Department of Homeland Security is calling a “targeted arrest.”
The incident was reported at 10:47 a.m. in the 3700 block of Whittier Boulevard, said LAPD Officer Tony Im.
Surveillance footage obtained by Boyle Heights Beat shows an SUV ramming into a white sedan as a pickup truck drives up to block the sedan. Soon after, men in vests emerge from both the SUV and the pickup truck, and point their guns at the sedan. That’s when a man comes out of the sedan with his hands up and walks away from his vehicle.
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Another video showed a man being taken away in handcuffs.
The driver was identified by family as 27-year-old Christian Cerna.
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Secretary Tricia McLaughlin with the Department of Homeland Security described the incident as a “targeted arrest,” adding that Cerna was wanted in connection with an assault against a CBP officer. McLaughlin, in the statement, said Cerna “punched a CBP officer.”
No further details were provided.
Shortly after the collision, a crowd had gathered at the scene where multiple LAPD patrol vehicles and LAFD fire trucks were present.
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Witnesses at the scene outside Rudy’s Bargain store described hearing a crash Wednesday morning and saw what appeared to be HSI agents descend on a white Mercedes-Benz and its occupants.
Students at nearby Collegiate Charter High School of Los Angeles heard about the activity via Instagram.
“They should let us go home because it’s not a safe environment and not fair to the students. Kids are at risk,” one student told Boyle Heights Beat youth reporter Reana Peña.
A press conference organized by the social justice group Centro CSO is scheduled for 5 p.m. Wednesday at Ruben Salazar Park in East L.A.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
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