As some families stay home amid concerns over immigration enforcement, one Lamont business is stepping in to help keep its customers moving.
Mechanics from Lamont Auto Repair are hitting the road to pick up customers' vehicles. Owner Emanuel Espinoza said the shop started offering the service after noticing how ICE activity was affecting daily life in Lamont.
"So we definitely saw less traffic here at the shop, and not just here at the shop, but just within the community itself, you know, we're looking out at the street and it looked like a ghost town, you know, so we definitely knew that people were staying home," Espinoza said.
The Rapid Response Network of Kern confirmed one person was detained by ICE in Lamont on Tuesday.
Espinoza said the calls have been coming in since the shop began offering free vehicle pickup.
"Picking up cars left and right. So, you know, people are definitely taking advantage of, you know, our service. And we're glad that we're able to help," Espinoza said.
Paloma is one of those customers. For privacy, she asked us not to show her face. She said she's grateful to see a local business stepping up for the community.
"I saw it on social media; that's where I saw their post and it's a great help," Paloma said. "I'm really grateful because they're helping out the community."
Mechanic Alfredo Gomez said getting those cars to and from the shop takes a team.
"Two of us will go. Obviously, one will go on and one of our vehicles; we'll go wherever the customer is at, pick up the customer vehicle, and just pretty much drive back to the shop and check out or figure out whatever needs to be fixed on the vehicle. And from there, just same process, two of us will go and drop it off," Gomez said.
For Espinoza, the extra miles are about returning years of support from the community.
"You know, the community has always been here and supporting us, so we decided that we wanted to support back. And we've gotten a lot of people calling and letting us know that, you know, they appreciate what we're doing," Espinoza said.
And for Paloma, that help means more than just getting her car fixed.
"Thanks to their help, a lot of people can use their services, and I hope God can bless them for their help," Paloma said.
Espinoza said people can call the day of for their pickup services.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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