SoFi Stadium worker targets 12-year-old girl, knocks down street vendor carts
The incident occurred after the worker asked them to move back, which the vendors said they complied with.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (KABC) -- What was supposed to be a day of working and making money to pay bills for some street vendors turned into them picking up their carts that were thrown -- filled with food and hot surfaces -- to the ground outside of SoFi Stadium on Saturday.
Eyewitnesses captured the aftermath on their cell phones. Video showed the vendors picking up the mess that was left behind.
Graciee Cifuentes witnessed the incident and said a 12-year-old girl with her two siblings was the first target. The girl's mom said her kids were keeping an eye on the food while she went to the restroom. The person allegedly responsible for throwing the hot dog carts to the ground was a man who was wearing a shirt that said SoFi Stadium Guest Experience. ABC7 Eyewitness News is told the man doesn't work for the stadium but for a third party.
"But this one guy. I don't know what it was. He went to that little girl. Knocked over her food. I don't know why this person was targeted. I think was because she was small, she was young," said Cifuentes. "And this guy is a big guy, he knew what he was doing."
The girl's mom said her daughter was left with multiple bruises after the cart was thrown and items hit her. Cifuentes said a second vendor's cart was also tossed to the ground. It belonged to Luis Franco. He said the man who knocked down the carts first came out of the stadium and asked the vendors to move back from the entrance.
Franco said they did move back. But then the same man came out and started arguing.
"He said you want to see me mad, you want to see mad. And at that moment he started throwing the carts. Someone could have passed by and could have gotten burned," said Franco.
Franco said he lost about $500 that night. As for the 12-year-old girl, her mom said she's doing okay and is at home, but was left frightened from the experience. Video shows sheriff's deputies and Inglewood Police were at the scene. As for the man who threw the carts, Franco said he went back inside the stadium.
"It is so sad that this is still going on in 2023," said Cifuentes.
We also reached out to the Inglewood Police Department. They took down the incident report, as of now we also haven't heard back. Franco said he hopes SoFi will pay him the money he lost that night.
SoFi Stadium issued the following updated statement on Tuesday.
"We are aware that an incident occurred Saturday night outside of the stadium and are working with law enforcement to look into the matter. The individual involved was employed by a third-party vendor, and we have been advised that he has since been terminated. Maintaining a safe environment is our number one priority, and we will continue to regularly evaluate staffing and protocols across all of our vendors to ensure an enjoyable entertainment experience."
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