A U.S. Border Patrol agent who faced criminal charges for assaulting police officers in California has been found dead, authorities confirmed Wednesday.
Isaiah Anthony Hodgson, 29, was discovered inside a Riverside County home, east of Los Angeles, on Friday, just days after a recent court appearance. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to a call in Lake Elsinore around 12:45 p.m. on Aug. 22, where Hodgson was pronounced dead at the scene, NBC News reported.
No cause of death has been released. The sheriff’s office said the investigation is ongoing, though no foul play is suspected.
Hodgson had been arrested on July 7 in Long Beach after what prosecutors described as a drunken night that began in a women’s bathroom and ended in a confrontation with officers.
According to ABC7, Hodgson, who was carrying a handgun, was accused of entering the women’s bathroom of a Shoreline Village restaurant on July 7 and refusing to leave. When officers arrived, Hodgson reportedly “became agitated and physical with the officers.” One officer sustained injuries during the arrest.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed Hodgson was employed as a border agent at the time of his arrest. He had pleaded not guilty to three felony charges of resisting arrest and assaulting an officer. Hodgson had a preliminary hearing scheduled for late September, according to court documents viewed by NBC.
His death drew scrutiny online, as Hodgson has been involved in the chaotic June arrest of 20-year-old Adrian Andrew Martinez, a Walmart employee accused of impeding federal officers conducting immigration detainments outside of Martinez’s store in the Los Angeles suburb of Pico Rivera.
Many critics tied it to President Donald Trump’s ongoing push for ramped-up ICE raids across Los Angeles.
One Threads user captioned a local news clip, “Remember that ICE agent who harassed a brown U.S. citizen, then went drunk to Long Beach harassing a woman and fighting a cop? He’s now been found dead.”
The post racked up more than a thousand comments, many indifferent to Hodgson’s fate.
One user didn’t hold back:, “Normally I wouldn’t say this out of respect but in this case…the world is just a tad bit better off without him. Hopefully his dear leader won’t be far behind.”
A similar tone continued with another user adding, “Yeah, he knew he was guilty for his sins and couldn’t deal with his guilt. We’re going to see a lot of it!” another commenter added.
Hodgson’s arrest had already made headlines in Southern California. His booking photo circulated after Long Beach police said he was heavily intoxicated during the scuffle. Prosecutors noted his law enforcement position when filing charges, but CBP at the time only said it was “aware of the arrest” and pledged cooperation with local authorities.
The agency has not commented publicly on his death.
Good riddance!
