Man caught on camera destroying Woodland Hills fruit stand with axe
WOODLAND HILLS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A street vendor is speaking out after a man was caught on video using an axe to destroy his stand in Woodland Hills.
Police are investigating but the suspect has not yet been arrested.
The video shows the man approaching the vendor stand Sunday and start to knock it over. The vendor moves about a block away for safety but continues taking video of the incident. The man has an axe and is smashing the stand.
The vendor, Jonathan Alvarez Marquez, says he was afraid for his life. He doesn't understand English but people told him the man threatened to kill him if he kept seeing him in the area.
It happened at the corner of Dumetz Road and Canoga Avenue. At one point the suspect is in the street smashing the umbrella.
Alvarez Marquez says he stepped away because he doesn't know what would've happened if he had stayed in that spot.
Police are investigating to see if this is connected to another attack at the same intersection back in March.
In that case a group of demonstrators went to the suspect's home to show support for a street vendor. They confronted the man, who then sprayed people with a garden hose. In the video, police show up and take the man into custody.
RELATED: Woodland Hills man accused of harassing street vendor arrested after confrontation with protesters
In this new case investigators say they will talk to the victim and it appears to be a case of felony vandalism.
Alvarez Marquez says he doesn't believe it's fair or justified to do that to his equipment.
He says those were all his personal items and replacing them will now cost about $1,000.
