Street vendor attacked, robbed in front of his 8-year-old daughter in South LA

SOUTH LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A street vendor in South Los Angeles was viciously attacked in front of his 8-year-old daughter during a brazen robbery caught on camera.

Jose Carbajal was selling T-shirts out of his truck at the corner on Broadway and Manchester Avenue outside a Bank of America on Saturday afternoon when he says he was robbed of everything he had.

Footage from the assault showed Carbajal on the ground with the robbers on top of him.

Police are now searching for four men who stole $2,200 and left the street vendor with a bruise on his neck from where they yanked a purse with money.

Carbajal says the group of thieves attacked him from behind.

"I felt like a weapon, I felt that they were pulling me," he told Eyewitness News. "They started to punch me. I had my money in a small purse that I had here. It was my savings, and I didn't want to give it up so easily."

The attack happened in broad daylight in front of Carbajal's 8-year-old daughter, who has autism. He's taking care of her by himself, and she sometimes spends time in the truck while he works.

Carbajal lives in a motel and is saving up to rent an apartment while his daughter's mother is back in Colombia. He says his daughter was frightened when she saw the attack.

"My daughter can't speak with her condition. She was just motioning to me where they hit me," Carbajal recalled. "She was showing me and she was a bit agitated and a bit worried, and then I told her that we're OK."

Police are investigating and are still searching for the suspects.

People who learned about the story have been coming by to buy T-shirts from Carbajal and show their support. A GoFundMe account has already raised more than $30,000.

"I do everything for my daughter. It's a very small business but I want to succeed. My daughter's condition... I want to work hard so she will have what she needs when she's grown up."

Carbajal says despite this setback he will not give up. He will continue to fight for his daughter and for his dream.