A U.S. Border Patrol agent who was recently charged with assaulting a Long Beach police officer and resisting arrest has died, a spokesperson for the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department confirmed with L.A. TACO.
Twenty-nine-year-old Isaiah Anthony Hodgson made headlines last month after he was charged on July 11 with seven felonies and misdemeanors for drunkenly approaching a woman with a firearm in a women’s restroom at a restaurant in Shoreline Village in Long Beach, and then later injuring a Long Beach police officer while resisting arrest.
“The conduct exhibited by Mr. Hodgson, a border patrol agent who has the duty to uphold the law and protect its citizens, is unacceptable and deeply troubling,” Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a press release announcing charges against Hodgson. “No one is above the law, regardless of their position or badge. Law enforcement officers have a responsibility to always conduct themselves with integrity and professionalism. Our office will pursue prosecution accordingly to ensure justice is served.”
After being arrested, Hodgson pleaded not guilty to all charges at a Long Beach courthouse and was released from custody. He faced a maximum sentence of seven years in state prison if he was convicted on all charges, according to the D.A.'s office.
Hodgson's most recent court date was on August 20, according to court records, and he was due back in court for a preliminary hearing on September 24.
A public defender representing Hodgson in the case did not respond to an email asking about Hodgson’s death.
A spokesperson for L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman directed us to the Medical Examiner when asked if they were aware that Hodgson had died.
On Tuesday, in a written statement, a spokesperson for the Riverside Sheriff’s Department Media Information Bureau told L.A. TACO, “Our Coroner’s Bureau confirmed they have a case for a decedent by the name of Isaiah Anthony Hodgson.”
The spokesperson confirmed that the sheriff’s Coroner’s Bureau received the case on Friday, August 22. However, they could not confirm what city in Riverside County that Hodgson died in or provide any additional information at the time of publishing.
CBS News reported that Riverside County Sheriff's Office deputies were called to a home in an unincorporated part of Hemet known as Valle Vista at around 12:45 PM on August 22 and found Hodgson unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Deputies found no evidence of "foul play."
A GoFundMe campaign set up by a family member of Hodgson’s also confirms his death.
“As many of you know our beloved Isaiah Hodgson has gone home to join the Lord,” the page reads. “He was a great man, brother, uncle, and son.” The campaign asks for $11,000 to help with funeral expenses.
In addition to the incident in the women's bathroom in Long Beach, Hodgson was also connected to the arrests of two American citizens, 20-year-old Adrian Martinez who was arrested at a WalMart parking lot in Pico Rivera, and Job Garcia, who was arrested at a Hollywood Home Depot before reportedly being held near Dodger Stadium for over an hour.
L.A. TACO reached out to a spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for a statement and will update this story if we hear back.
