A pregnant street vendor became the target of an alleged hate crime in Simi Valley last week after an altercation with a local resident. The Simi Valley Police Department reported that the incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. near the intersection of Torrance Street and Brandon Avenue, when 56-year-old Julie Christine Sanchez clashed with the vendor over a permit issue and accused her of selling unsafe food, which ultimately led to Sanchez shoving the vendor to the ground.
Footage captured by a bystander and home surveillance shows Sanchez blocking the vendor's path and using her pushcart to knock her down despite multiple interventions by concerned neighbors, according to reports provided by FOX 11 and CBS News Los Angeles. The vendor, who is eight months pregnant, was assaulted after Sanchez purportedly said "America, English," and claimed that the vendor was bringing down her property values, as documented by NBC Los Angeles.
Sanchez was arrested and faces battery charges, the police confirmed. The victim, identified as Mary B., received immediate help from the community and subsequently declined medical attention at the scene, as further detailed in Nixle's report. Mary's attorneys are now urging the Ventura County District Attorney to escalate the charges to a hate crime due to the racial undertones observed during the assault, with her attorney Christian Contreras stating, "This woman in Simi Valley attacked Mary, attacked her unborn child, and attacked the street vendor community in Los Angeles," in a press conference covered by KTLA.
While Sanchez is expected to appear in court on May 14, the situation has sparked discussions regarding the safety and rights of street vendors in the area, moreover, her attorneys have filed a civil rights lawsuit claiming the incident was racially motivated and they are adamant about holding Sanchez accountable both criminally and civilly, as explained by attorney Humberto Guizar who said, "This woman needs to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and we are going to hold her accountable in the civil court," an assertion echoed by their statement obtained by CBS News Los Angeles.
