Kerman Mayor Maria Pacheco faces stalking complaint after confronting Fresno hairstylist she mistook for ICE agent
Kerman Mayor Maria Pacheco is named in formal complaints filed with the Fresno Police Department and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Public Integrity Unit alleging she followed and confronted a Fresno hairstylist for approximately 25 minutes on October 14 after mistakenly believing he was an immigration enforcement agent.
Eric Bridges, a Fresno resident who works as a hairstylist, filed the complaints Monday through attorney Roger Bonakdar. The complaint alleges Pacheco followed Bridges in her vehicle beginning near Kearney Park in west Fresno and continuing to a relative’s home, where she blocked his vehicle, recorded him, and told him “I’m looking for ICE and you look like ICE,” according to the material.
Bridges provided video footage of the confrontation and security camera footage showing Pacheco’s vehicle pulling up behind him at his sister’s house, according to his attorney. Bridges has no connection to ICE or the Department of Homeland Security, the complaint states.
Pacheco was elected Kerman’s mayor in 2022 and is currently a candidate for the Fresno County Board of Supervisors District 1 seat against Fresno City Councilman Mike Karbassi. According to the Fresno Bee, Pacheco called the complaint “ridiculous” and said she is willing to go to court over it if needed.
The material states Bridges has received threats related to the incident. No criminal charges or investigative findings have been announced as of the filing.
The Breakdown
- Eric Bridges filed complaints with Fresno Police and the DA’s Public Integrity Unit alleging Mayor Pacheco followed him for approximately 25 minutes on October 14.
- The complaint alleges Pacheco blocked Bridges’ vehicle at a relative’s home, recorded him, and accused him of being an ICE agent.
- Bridges provided video of the confrontation and security camera footage supporting the allegation.
- The material does not state what evidence Pacheco relied on to believe Bridges was an ICE agent or whether she attempted to verify that belief before confronting him.
What This Means for You
Pacheco is running for Fresno County Board of Supervisors District 1, a seat that will be decided by voters in that district. This complaint documents an allegation of how Pacheco exercised judgment and authority while holding elected office. Voters weighing her candidacy against opponent Mike Karbassi now have this complaint on record alongside whatever response Pacheco provides and whatever investigative outcome the DA’s office and police produce.
What to Watch
The material does not state what standard the DA’s Public Integrity Unit or Fresno Police will apply to determine whether the alleged conduct meets the legal threshold for stalking or harassment. It also does not state whether Pacheco will provide any explanation for why she believed Bridges was an ICE agent or what actions, if any, would constitute a proper response if an elected official did encounter federal immigration enforcement in their jurisdiction.
Bridges’ attorney states his client has received threats related to the incident but does not specify the nature of the threats, who made them, or whether they have been reported separately. That detail, if it exists in any report or record, would clarify whether the incident’s consequences extend beyond the confrontation itself.
Pacheco called the complaint “ridiculous” and said she is willing to go to court, according to the Fresno Bee. The material does not provide any further statement from Pacheco explaining her version of the October 14 encounter or what she believes justifies her actions that day.
