Fiancé says ICE agents posed as customers before Lynnwood, WA arrest

LYNNWOOD, Wash. - Surveillance video from a Lynnwood tire shop shows the moments a 26-year-old employee walked outside and was taken into custody by masked federal agents. His fiancée says the encounter began with a man who appeared to be a customer asking for help with a car.

Jade Gaspar says her fiancé, Christopher Ruiz de Jesus, was working at TOS Wheels and Tires on Saturday, Oct. 17, when a man asked him questions about tires before asking him to come outside.

Surveillance video shows encounter at tire shop

The backstory:

The surveillance video shows a man entering the shop without a mask and approaching Ruiz de Jesus at the counter.

Gaspar says Ruiz de Jesus told her the man was posing as a customer to get him to go outside.

"What's the make and model of the car? What's the size tire? And he just played it like, 'Oh, he didn't know it's a new car. Can you come and like help me outside?'" Gaspar said.

The video then shows Ruiz de Jesus treating him like any other customer and he walks outside. The man appears to put on a mask, and other masked agents wearing tactical gear move in and take Ruiz de Jesus into custody.

The video shows the encounter, but it does not independently establish the man's identity or whether he was acting undercover.

"You can see innocence in him, like just doing his job. He didn’t know," Gaspar said.

Fiancée describes shock after arrest

What they're saying:

Gaspar said Ruiz de Jesus called her after the arrest and told her he was in the back of an immigration vehicle.

She described feeling disoriented as she tried to process what had happened while caring for their young son.

"I was lost. I didn't know what to feel. My son just woke up, and I saw him, and he was like talking to me, and I was like, it's not real. It's not true. That's like a nightmare," she said.

Gaspar said Ruiz de Jesus has lived in the United States since he was about 5 years old. She also said he has no criminal history.

Family faces uncertainty

What you can do:

Gaspar said she is trying to find an attorney and determine how to cover rent and other household expenses without Ruiz de Jesus. The mother says their lease is over at the end of the month and their housing situation is in limbo.

She also described the impact of his absence on their nearly 2-year-old son.

"He's like walking around saying, 'Dad, dad!' That's so hard." Gaspar said, describing how difficult it has been to see their son looking for his father.

Gaspar said she wants to share their story as the family seeks answers about the arrest and works to bring Ruiz de Jesus home.

"I really want to spread awareness and I know prayers are going to bring him home," Gaspar said.

DHS says 'no one is off the table'

FOX 13 contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection with questions about the arrest, including whether federal agents are allowed to pose as customers during enforcement operations.

ICE and CBP had not responded to FOX 13's requests for comment at the time of reporting.

In a statement responding to a broader question about whether people without criminal records could still be detained, DHS said: "This is false. No one is off the table. We will continue to arrest any and all illegal aliens that come into our path."

The agency also said it would continue arresting and deporting people it describes as being in the country illegally.

DHS did not directly answer questions about the circumstances of Ruiz de Jesus' arrest or whether agents posed as customers in this case.

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