Compton restaurant honored for helping deputies hit by tear gas during anti-ICE protests

Restaurant honored for helping cops hit by tear gas

A Compton restaurant's workers helped Los Angeles County deputies who were hit by tear gas during a protest.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. - A Compton restaurant, known for its pupusas and homestyle cooking, is now being recognized worldwide for something very different: stepping in to help Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies during a summer protest that turned chaotic.

Workers at La Ceiba on Alondra Boulevard rushed to the aid of deputies who stumbled inside after being hit with tear gas during demonstrations linked to immigration raids in June. Surveillance video shows employees pouring milk over the deputies’ eyes and fanning their faces as they struggled to breathe.

"I love seeing the employees that helped me and my partner — it was very emotional for me — I’m very touched and honored and I will forever love them and be grateful for them," Deputy Tara Crutchfield of the LASD Compton Station said.

Owner Elizabeth Mendoza said her employees didn’t hesitate. "We didn’t think — we just sprung into action. We didn’t see officers … we just saw humans," she said through a translator.

Letters of support have since poured in from across the globe, many of which are now framed on the restaurant’s walls. On Wednesday night, the Sheriff’s Department formally honored Mendoza and her staff for their compassion.

"Thank you from the bottom of our heart for being good people — just amazing people," Sheriff Robert G. Luna told them during the ceremony as each worker was presented with an award.

Rosa Mendoza, one of the employees honored, said she never expected such attention. Speaking through a translator, she said, "She never anticipated being honored in such a manner. She knows the true recognition and honor will come from God."

Luna called the restaurant’s actions an example of community policing. "This is the foundation of community policing — to make neighborhoods safe, you need community, and deputy sheriffs, police officers to always have each other’s back. And that’s exactly what happened," he said. "Appreciation isn’t the right word. It’s like a proud father. It’s like you took care of my kids. I’m going to come say thank you and give you a hug for doing it."

The restaurant’s owner said she and her staff remain overwhelmed by the support, calling the experience "surreal."