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Monrovia speakers urge permanent memorial and investigation into death of Roberto Carlos Montoya
Summary
Public commenters at the Oct. 7 Monrovia City Council meeting called for a permanent memorial to Roberto Carlos Montoya and asked the council to seek a formal investigation into his death; council members asked staff to check whether an investigation is already underway and discussed next steps.
Public commenters at the Monrovia City Council meeting on Oct. 7 urged the city to support a permanent memorial for Roberto Carlos Montoya and asked the council to press for a formal investigation into his death.
The calls came during the public comment period, when Marcelo, a local activist and organizer, described Montoya’s death and asked that he “be remembered,” and several residents described repeated removals of temporary memorials and ongoing concerns about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity near the Home Depot site. A vigil was announced for Oct. 10 at 6 p.m. at the Home Depot to remember Montoya.
The requests reached elected officials during council reports. Council member Edward Belden asked that the council send a letter to the governor and the attorney general asking for a thorough investigation into Montoya’s death. Mayor Becky Chevlin asked City Manager Dylan to determine whether a formal investigation is already under way and what the city has learned so far.
Why it matters: commenters said the memorials had been removed multiple times and that laborers who work near the site face recurring enforcement actions. Several speakers framed the requests as both a memorialization issue and as part of broader concerns about enforcement activity affecting immigrant day laborers.
What happened at the meeting: multiple residents, including Martha Mack from Arcadia and Anna Gee from the Immigrant Resource Center, urged city officials to consider two specific responses: supporting a permanent memorial to Montoya and adopting practices similar to a June resolution passed by the Huntington Park City Council requiring police to verify the identity of any ICE agents. The Huntington Park action was cited by Anna Gee as a model; she asked whether Monrovia could pursue comparable steps.
Council and staff response: the mayor asked the city manager to investigate whether state or federal authorities are conducting an inquiry and to report back. Council member Belden’s request for a letter to the governor and attorney general was raised during council reports; the transcript does not record a formal motion, vote, or an adopted directive to send such a letter.
What the record shows and what remains open: the council did not record a formal vote at the Oct. 7 meeting to send a letter to state officials, nor did the transcript show a formal council resolution on verification of ICE identities. The meeting record shows public support for a permanent memorial, repeated removal of temporary memorials, an announced vigil on Oct. 10, and a staff direction from the mayor to the city manager to check on the status of any official investigations.
Next steps: City staff were asked to report back to the council with information about any investigations and options for the council’s consideration. Members of the public who raised the memorial issue said they are seeking a permanent, city-recognized remembrance and asked the council to consider policy options similar to Huntington Park’s June resolution.
