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    Big Bear Lake man released from ICE custody – a day before his wife dies of cancer
    • April 16, 2026

    It was a bittersweet — and brief — reunion for the Gonzalez family.

    Three Big Bear Lake sisters, whose father was detained by immigration officials for nearly two weeks, were briefly reunited with him and their mother, who was dying of cancer.

    RELATED: Big Bear Lake sisters’ dad is detained by ICE as mom fights cancer

    Big Bear Lake resident and handyman Armando Gonzalez, 48, was released and came home from the Adelanto ICE Processing Center on Monday afternoon, April 13, his daughters, Citlalli Montes, Adriana Gonzalez and Iris Gonzalez said.

    But the next day, his wife of more than 20 years died, the sisters said.

    • Erika and Armando Gonzalez are seen in a family photo...

      Erika and Armando Gonzalez are seen in a family photo with grandson Mateo Montes. (Courtesy of Citlalli Montes)

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    Erika and Armando Gonzalez are seen in a family photo with grandson Mateo Montes. (Courtesy of Citlalli Montes)

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    Erika Gonzalez, who was diagnosed in 2020 with terminal brain cancer and had been in hospice the past few weeks – died Tuesday, April 14, the sisters said. She was 43.

    “Dad got home on Monday afternoon, and Mom passed away on Tuesday morning at 11:34,” eldest daughter Montes wrote Thursday, April 16, in a text message. “She still spent one more night with him. We all feel sad, but more united than ever.”

    It was not clear Thursday afternoon how or why Armando Gonzalez was released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

    Adriana Gonzalez, the middle sister, shared a poignant message to her mother on social media.

    “Rest peacefully, Mom. I love you more than words can ever express. It was truly a privilege to be your daughter … You touched so many lives, and your love will continue to live on through all of us.”

    Gonzalez’s March 31 arrest while driving to work came amid President Donald Trump’s mass deportation initiative that has seen thousands of undocumented immigrants detained in centers across Southern California and the nation.

    Earlier this week, Adriana Gonzalez and her sisters thanked the many people who supported the family with donations to their GoFundMe account and other avenues — especially those in the Big Bear business community — for helping bring their father back home.

    The privately owned Adelanto detention center in the San Bernardino County High Desert has faced criticism and allegations of inhumane conditions for the immigrants being held there as well as reports of more detainees dying at the facility.

    “Thanking God that our father is home and reunited with our mother,” Adriana Gonzalez wrote in an Instagram story. “Thank you to our friends, family and community who stood by us: your support was our strength. We are extremely thankful for every prayer and gesture of help.”

    The Gonzalez sisters thanked the family’s immigration lawyer, Karla Navarrete, whom they hired for their father’s case, with community support.

    “We couldn’t have done this without” Navarrete, Adriana Gonzalez wrote on Instagram.

    A spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security confirmed last week that ICE arrested Gonzalez and called him “a criminal illegal alien from Mexico convicted of public order crimes.” San Bernardino County court records show Gonzalez has several traffic violation convictions that were listed as infractions.

    An ICE spokesperson could not be reached by mid-Thursday afternoon.

    The three sisters had been caring for their ailing mother the past several months, including recent weeks when she began hospice care as her tumors and condition worsened. Their father constantly asked about his wife, always wondering how she was doing, the daughters said.

    Montes said by phone that their mother “waited until Dad was home to hear and feel his touch. She fought very hard.”

    Her sister Adriana Gonzalez wrote on Instagram: “Losing you is the greatest pain I will ever know, and my life will never be the same without you. There will never be a moment where I don’t miss you. You fought so hard, and I will always admire your strength. Hasta el cielo, mamá. Te quiero muchísimo.”

    ​ Orange County Register 

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