In a disturbing development amid ongoing anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles, authorities discovered a man’s body on a downtown sidewalk near areas where looting had occurred. What began as protests against immigration enforcement actions devolved into widespread looting and property destruction. Is the death connected to the unrest or represents an unrelated incident?
Body Found Amid Chaos in Downtown Los Angeles
Los Angeles police discovered a man’s body on a sidewalk in downtown Los Angeles early Tuesday morning at West 3rd and Broadway, an area recently affected by protests and looting. The identity of the deceased remains unknown, and investigators have not yet determined whether the death is directly related to the unrest that has rocked the city.
The discovery occurred near several businesses that had been targeted by looters during what began as anti-ICE protests but quickly deteriorated into opportunistic criminal activity. Video footage from the scene shows individuals breaking into stores and fleeing with merchandise while law enforcement attempted to regain control of the situation.
Body discovered on LA sidewalk near looted stores in the wake of anti-ICE riots https://t.co/ALx0v20VZx pic.twitter.com/Y5Ns6oQqtA
— New York Post (@nypost) June 10, 2025
Looting Devastates Local Businesses
Business owners in the affected areas have expressed devastation over the damage and losses incurred during the looting spree. One local business owner criticized the criminal activity, stating, “This is so ridiculous. This doesn’t look like they’re protesting ICE or anything. They are doing… just for the looting the stores and everything. I saw them break into the Apple Store, they break into the Adidas store. This is not… they’re doing protest.”
Retailers, including T-Mobile and Foot Locker, were among the businesses targeted during the chaos that followed the initial protests. The original demonstrations began after a confrontation between protesters and ICE agents during an immigration enforcement operation, but quickly escalated to include property destruction and violence.
🚨 BREAKING: Looting in LA tonight
Looters are stealing Sneakers. Loaves of Bread are marked safe. #LARiots pic.twitter.com/59Y66Uq3kU
— Alec Lace (@AlecLace) June 9, 2025
Federal Response and Political Tensions
President Donald Trump has authorized the deployment of an additional 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, with 700 Marines also sent to the area. In a statement, Trump claimed, “If I didn’t ‘SEND IN THE TROOPS’ to Los Angeles the last three nights, that once beautiful and great City would be burning to the ground right now, much like 25,000 houses burned to the ground in L.A. due to an incompetent Governor and Mayor.”
The federal response has intensified political tensions between Washington and California’s leadership. Governor Gavin Newsom has sued the Trump administration over the National Guard deployment, accusing the president of exploiting the situation for political gain, while Trump maintains that Los Angeles would have been “completely obliterated” without federal intervention.
Law enforcement continues to make numerous arrests as they work to restore order to the city. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the discovered body remains ongoing, adding another layer of complexity to an already volatile situation.