“This Sunday, I felt really bad and perhaps I felt discriminated against because he treated me as if I was a piece of trash,” said Gustavo Angel.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A food vendor in South Sacramento says he’s being treated unfairly by the City of Sacramento Code Enforcement after officers were caught on camera throwing away all of their food.
It happened this past weekend and the owner of Tacos El Lobo caught it all on video.
In a video taken Sunday night of Tacos El Lobo in South Sacramento being shut down by City of Sacramento Code Enforcement, you can hear Gustavo Angel, the owner, ask one of the officers why he pushed him.
The video also shows officers throw away food from the taco stand as employees try to salvage what they can.
“I tried to grab a box, and then he grabbed me and threw me against the railing. And I couldn’t figure out why he pushed me. And he started to say ‘Don’t touch me, don’t touch me.’ And I never touched him. I knew, if I touched him, the outcome would be bad, or they would have arrested me,” said Angel in Spanish.
The 22-year-old showed ABC10 a bruise he said resulted from this. He also said he doesn’t have a permit to sell food on the street.
In the past two years they’ve been open, the taco stand has been shut down at least 10 times.
Angel said officers used to speak to them and warn them. But recently, he said code enforcement shows up and starts to throw away their food, which can cost them up to a thousand dollars on a weekend night.
“I haven’t thought about moving my business because in reality, there’s nothing else we know to do. That’s how we make our living for all of us,” said Angel.
The shutdown comes after the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance that requires sidewalk vendors to have a health and business permit to operate legally. But it doesn’t go into effect until March.
The City of Sacramento provided the following statement:
“The City of Sacramento’s Code Enforcement Business Compliance Team, in partnership with Sacramento County’s Environmental Health, has been conducting outreach and education conducting various inspections of street food vending throughout the City. Many street vendors are operating illegally without proper City or County permits to ensure their food is safe for consumption.
In response to complaints in the last two years, Tacos El Lobo has been given multiple warnings and citations by City of Sacramento Code Enforcement along with information on how to operate legally to comply with City and County safety regulations. Sunday, February 23, was the second inspection where Sacramento County Environmental Health confiscated unsanitary and unsafe food products and cited the vendor for operating without proper permitting.
The purpose of these actions is to ensure vendors are abiding by City of Sacramento and Sacramento County food and health safety standards. If they fail to comply, their goods will be confiscated. The main priority of the City’s Code Enforcement’s Business Compliance is the health and safety of the community.”
Angel said he understands the city has to do its job, but he questions the aggressive treatment and why it feels they’ve become the target when there are so many other vendors operating illegally.
“This Sunday, I felt really bad and perhaps I felt discriminated against because he treated me as if I was a piece of trash,” said Angel.
Angel said he’s confused on how to get a permit for this business, but he said he has no plans of leaving the location where clients know they’re going.
The City of Sacramento also sent ABC10 links for others who have questions about vendor permit.
For more information on food vending permits please visit the City’s Revenue Division, click HERE.
For more information from the County Environmental Health Department for unpermitted food vending, click HERE.
There are also opportunities through the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for a Street Vendor Boot Camp to learn how to operate legally.
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