Food Vendors Attacked Near Covina Wednesday

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

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CITRUS - At least four men fled after attacking vendors serving up food on a sidewalk July 29.

The attack occurred on East Cypress Street and North Fircroft Avenue Wednesday. A table was overturned, a generator and cellphone were stolen and one victim was struck with a metal pipe, according to Lt. Ed Mackenzie of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s San Dimas Station.

The attack was reported around 7:45 p.m.

The four suspects, only described as Hispanic men in their mid to late-30s, arrived in an older-model Nissan and began harassing the vendors.

“They started pounding on their equipment, their food, their carts, with metal pipes. They approached the two victims. One of them was struck in the arm by a metal pipe,” Mackenzie told SGV CityWatch.

There was no known motive for the attack. Witnesses said the suspects told the vendors “what’s going on. What do you think you are doing,” Mackenzie told SGV CityWatch.

Local resident Amber Castro and her boyfriend saw the aftermath of the attack.

“My boyfriend and I were driving by when we seen that the street vendors had smoke coming out from their grill and it seemed like there was a fire at the same time we saw these men jump into a white Nissan Altima and drive off quickly.

“We immediately stopped and helped the street vendors and they expressed that they were hit in the back of the head with some pipes and had the table where they had all the food and the grill flipped over as well as had the box of money stolen and the phone stolen,” Castro told SGV CityWatch.

This was the first week of selling food at that location for the vendors, Castro said.

One witness said the suspects covered at least one of the license plates to the Nissan.

“It leaves me feeling a lot of sadness and pain for these street vendors. I’ve been seeing so many videos on social media of injustices being done onto street vendors, but to see it happen in front of you is heart breaking,” Castro said. “Never did I think something like this would happen in the city I grew up in. I think however, that as a community we need to come together to better ourselves and help those who are just trying to make ends meet. The city of Covina is better then this so I hope we can all come together to help them.”

The men stood 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed from 120 to 190 pounds.

Deputies could not obtain a more accurate description for the suspects, considering the victims did not really want to give too much information and even declined medical service, Mackenzie told SGV CityWatch.

The vendors have since relocated and have begun serving up food again.