A Costa Mesa man is facing federal charges after allegedly biting an immigration officer’s finger during an arrest at the United States Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles.
The incident occurred around 9:50 a.m. on Tuesday at 300 North Los Angeles St., according to an affidavit released by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Authorities say 35-year-old Maksim Zaitsev, a Russian national, arrived at the Los Angeles Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office for a scheduled case review after receiving a letter instructing him to appear. He was accompanied by his wife when ICE officers took him into custody on a Department of Homeland Security warrant.
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While being led down a hallway for processing, Zaitsev allegedly resisted arrest, calling out to his wife before dropping his weight to the floor in protest. During the struggle, officials say he bit an ICE agent’s left finger, breaking the skin and fracturing the bone.
Zaitsev was eventually restrained and taken into custody. He remains in federal detention and is now facing charges of assaulting a federal officer. If convicted, he could receive a prison sentence of up to 20 years .
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