Op-Ed: Vanished on the 4th of July — What Happened at Santa Palm Car Wash?

On July 7th, 2024, at the West Hollywood Library, the West Hollywood City Council meeting added a last-minute agenda item to their evening program, titled “F3,” to discuss the recent ICE raid on our neighborhood car wash that took place on July 4th at the corner of Santa Monica and Palm Ave.

At around 9:45 AM, three unmarked cars arrived at the car wash business and apprehended two employees, one of whom had been loyally working for the Palm Carwash for over 30 years. The manager, during this incident, was in the restroom and hurried outside upon hearing the commotion.

He witnessed a group of around seven to nine camouflaged individuals, heavily armed and masked, chasing after employees and dragging what seemed to be three of them into unmarked black cars. Around 30 cars were in the process of being cleaned, between the polishing station, wash port, and the shining deck. Patrons waiting for their vehicles had their cell phones out; some even expressed their disappointment by screaming, while most employees either walked away, ran away, or simply stood aside.

Over 50 people were instant witnesses to what appeared to be a “raid” by government agents rounding up people who could potentially threaten national security. “Appears to be” because, over the last two years, we have had various groups of people — Proud Boys sponsored and MAGA enthusiasts in unmarked cars (some with their license plates removed) — circling through Santa Monica Boulevard, exhibiting threatening gestures, shouting insults, and instilling fear among citizens.

In none of these instances did the Sheriff’s Office of West Hollywood interfere, delegate safety checks, or show diligence to prevent these dangerous parades. So, it comes as no surprise that none of the Sheriff’s Department showed up at the car wash on Friday morning, while most of the nation was celebrating Independence Day. Not a single officer!

I attended the Council meeting yesterday, July 7th, at 6 PM. I signed up to speak during the open mic session, where I had a limited two minutes to express my disappointment in the current leadership of West Hollywood. As expected, John Erickson could not attend, presumably preoccupied with future career plans, and the agenda began by distributing promotional certificates with photo ops — one of them to a hot dog vendor, “Big Dix,” which felt very tone-deaf in light of the ongoing issue of rounding up street vendors in our City.

Here is the extended speech I presented, although my words had to be shortened, because the Council has long learned that giving citizens a fair amount of “voice” would only expose the depth of their inaction:

Dear Almighty Council,

Is it any wonder that we’re gathered here while you’ve probably already sold the idea of yet another skyscraper rising on the coveted corner of Palm Avenue and Santa Monica Blvd? You all know too well how to tango with developers, don’t you? And while you’re busy in those cushy, back-door meetings, let’s address the bitter truth — the so-called “safety” you claim to uphold is crumbling under your watch, especially for those souls who scrub our cars, clean our dishes, tidy up our homes, and collect garbage before sunrise. If “immigrant” is an unfamiliar reality in your vocabulary, then quite frankly, you have no business steering the wheel of West Hollywood.

Despite contributing over $11 billion to the US Treasury in 2024 alone, these hardworking souls find themselves treated like pawns in a sleazy game. You’ve shown through inaction that they’re apparently more of a threat to national security than the well-documented addict peddling drugs just around the corner — in my own building.

Explain to us, dear Council: How was there no sign of a Sheriff when a convoy of GI-Joe wannabes, weapons poised, raided a local business as if it were some action movie set? Yet they dispatch a fleet of six squad cars if the homeless so much as sneezes suspiciously on the sidewalk.

And what about my drug-dealing neighbor? I’m sure the sight of unmarked cars, masked “law enforcers” storming into our dwelling would be slightly terrifying, wouldn’t it? But, shh… let’s not talk too loudly. Our cries to Councilman and lawyer Langer and their entourage garner less attention than whispers in the wind tomorrow…

We ponder: Would you be equally unresponsive if these masked gangs barged into your precious City Hall? Looking for that janitor who tidied your offices — oh, what was that term — maybe undocumented immigrants? No, no, I don’t accuse you of not cleaning your own bathrooms…

Soldiers are trained to fight and destroy an enemy; most have no training in peacefully enforcing the law and de-escalating conflict while respecting constitutional rights.

Title 10, invoked to activate these hooligans against us, clearly expresses the duty to assist civil authorities in enforcing the laws… But our Sheriff’s Department chose to hide, right across the street, while people were kidnapped a block away! They too aligned their weak justifications for inaction with Councilmember Hang’s miserly drafted words; it echoes that beloved “we care deeply” response after a preventable crime snuffed out lives in our community. How was your carefree 4th of July celebration with your perfectly legal and American families?

Federal Law, 18 U.S. Code § 242 — Deprivation of rights under color of law — is a federal law that makes it a crime for someone acting under the authority of law to willfully deprive another person of their constitutional rights or privileges; this includes acts taken by government officials — like law enforcement officers — that violate a person’s federally protected rights. Due process is one of our federal rights. The Supreme Court just weeks ago ruled that all immigrants, regardless of their status — legal or illegal — are afforded the right to due process!

Using the National Guard to round up civilians was not authorized by Congress. An executive order is not an act of Congress. You’re sitting here comfortably, flimsily informed about the panic some of us feel, live, endure… Tell us: if the door burst open right now and armed, masked individuals in combat gear — loaded and unlocked — dragged Danny Hang from his chair, do you think any of the Sheriff’s officers would defend his kidnapping? He looks about as American to some of you as I sound like it!

It’s fascinating: 61 businesses have shut down along Santa Monica Blvd alone. Your “highest wages” salary implementation “law” has become a noose for struggling restaurants and their employees. But then again, foresight isn’t a strong suit in your club. Supporting policies straight out of an Orwellian dystopia and having to explain away why you still don’t have an effective plan of action to prevent illegal deportation is certainly more convenient, isn’t it?

There are people sitting behind me agreeing that deporting a legal alien is okay! You fail to inform them clearly why they are wrong! Many of us could paint a 1930s Germany likeness, but perhaps you’re too busy polishing your ambitions for higher office to notice this repeat.

Here we are, three days later, another charade of a City Hall meeting where the clock grants us two precious minutes. As per usual, your eyes will roll, you’ll sip your coffees tomorrow, and conveniently forget the four workers ripped away from families, who slept on cement floors. Business as usual.

And me? I’ll return to my slumlord-run building, ponder when the next absurd raid will snatch more friends away while you continue your political orchestration.

— Raphael

What happened next, however, deeply angered me.

On my way out of the meeting — which had issues on the agenda that seemed way more lucrative for the Council — I was stopped by Lieutenant Fanny Lapkin, who expressed she would like to talk to me. Although she was courteous and professional in her tone, the message she tried to convey seriously angered me.

At first, she claimed there was not one phone call placed to the Sheriff’s station on Saturday morning about the incident at the Palm Car Wash. Not one!

When I asked her if that seemed “normal” given the serious circumstances of a public kidnapping in progress — with about 50 clients and bystanders, 20 employees, and others at the scene — she admitted it seemed odd. She claimed that not until the City Council made the Sheriff’s station aware of it were officers deployed, but the three-minute action had already ended.

In any other circumstances, I would have quietly walked away and rolled my eyes. But freshly sparked by my need to express my deep frustration over yet another inaction of top officials in our City leadership, I started to ask her questions.

She then had to admit that the information she had was partially provided to her by Danny Rivas, the head of West Hollywood safety. Yup — that explains everything!

I pressed on her to explain what protocol was in place for a scenario like the one that happened a few days earlier, and she said, “We have none, because nobody has given us instructions…” and since the Feds overrule the County, she claimed there is nothing they could legally do.

When I pondered if she knew it was the Feds — not a militia group or some bounty hunters — she countered that the size and the uniform alone indicated to her it was the Feds.

A few blocks down the street, anyone can buy a perfectly matching set of uniforms with patches!

“So, you don’t know for sure if it was the Feds, because nobody verified?”

She then expressed that the following “investigation” provided no clues as to who actually came, and she again reiterated that it “most likely was Federal Border Agents.”

“You don’t actually know…?” I asked again.

She claimed there is no way to know.

I then asked her to forget her rank and credentials and, as a human towards a human of Latin appearance:

“Don’t you think this is not okay?”

Her response: “What I personally think is not in question here…” — and this disconnect to our reality should have stopped the conversation.

Some people just fail to comprehend the bigger picture. But I was on a mission and grabbed the Manager of the Palm Wash out from the meeting to join the conversation.

He confirmed that Officer Fanny’s version did not align with the reality of the actions from July 4th. He confirmed that he personally did not call the Sheriff’s station but surely believed — out of the many people at the scene — someone had. Two of his employees even drove off with their client’s car they were cleaning and called from the Pavilion parking lot, expressing what had happened. Both owners were in support of the panicked action by those employees.

He then confirmed that the first Sheriff to show up on the scene arrived 75 minutes AFTER the commotion. They did not conduct an investigation. They did not even review much evidence, although twenty video clips within minutes were posted and currently circulating on various social media platforms. The Manager himself had clear images of license plates and the camouflaged culprits, which he shared in the hallway.

On July 4th, 2025, it took the Sheriff’s station another two hours before sending another officer to the Palm Car Wash. When I pointed out this is not a reasonable response to what went down, Officer Fanny Lapkin tried to explain away that nobody knew about it until West Hollywood City officials had made them aware of the situation — more than one hour after the first social media clips appeared in our neighborhood!

Keep in mind, the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Department frequently shows up with five cars when someone falls on their face drunk at a high-tourist venue, and they gather for a homeless person who sneezes loudly on a street corner!

How this entire scene played out — and is currently “whitewashed” by City Council and Sheriffs alike — needs to be thoroughly investigated.

WeHoians must start stepping up and asking questions, demanding that a protocol be in place for how to handle future citizen arrests or prevent kidnappings by individuals who are after a bounty — or worse, to scare us with their 1930s tactics, just for fun.

Our leadership, including the top person assigned for safety in our City, Danny Rivas (regardless of his political preference), should explain why he deems these interactions okay and why he refuses to speak publicly about protecting the workers (illegal and legal) from being kidnapped.

The truth must surface, and solid protocols enacted. We cannot place trust in hollow declarations of “nothing can be done” when real-world lives, dreams, and freedoms hang in the balance.

Movements and protests must light the path to ensure no future street corner witnesses a similar unfolding nightmare.

On Tuesday, July 8th, 2025, a person familiar with the inner workings of City Hall confirmed:

“The City Council of West Hollywood was aware of the impending ICE raid and yet; Danny Hang admitted he did nothing to alert the community before the ‘kidnapping’ that had been orchestrated with the knowledge of Council on July 4th, 2025.”

Based upon his admittance, the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station should have been informed as well. If not, should that not call for a serious investigation?

Our leaders must act swiftly, decisively, and more than anything else, humanely.

Elected officials and law enforcement need a stark reminder that residents — documented or not — deserve unwavering protection.

We must hold those responsible accountable and resist the shadows lurking in the darker recesses of institutional power.

If not, how long before the disturbing “cleansing” of West Hollywood echoes nightmares of a bygone era we vowed never to repeat?

We the citizens demand answers — and we won’t be silent anymore.

Well, my question is still unanswered: Was it the Feds?