DeKalb County

Some charges dropped against journalist in ICE custody after DeKalb County protest arrest

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DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — An immigrant journalist arrested during a protest earlier this month has had some of the charges against him dropped.

The DeKalb County Solicitor General has dropped charges against Mario Guevara. However, he remains in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.

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Guevara, an El Salvador native, was arrested while filming a protest on Chamblee-Tucker Road. He was charged with unlawful assembly, obstruction of a law enforcement officer and pedestrian on the roadway.

“After carefully reviewing the evidence, including video evidence surrounding his arrest, I have determined that while there was probable cause to support the initial arrest, the evidence is insufficient to sustain a prosecution beyond a reasonable doubt,” said Solicitor General Donna Coleman-Stribling.

She says Guevara was generally in compliance with law enforcement directions during the protest.

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While in custody in DeKalb County, ICE officials placed a hold on him before taking him into their custody days later.

The Department of Homeland Security have confirmed that Guevara is in removal proceedings.

Guevara, known for documenting ICE operations live on social media, identified himself as media during the arrest by Doraville police and asked officers to protect his phone for work purposes. He was livestreaming at the time of his arrest.

He still faces misdemeanor traffic charges, including reckless driving, in Gwinnett County.

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