A SoFi Stadium employee is accused of hurting a 12-year-old girl after he flipped her mom’s hot dog cart while the woman was using the restroom.
Marlene Morales was watching the cart with her siblings at a concert outside the stadium Saturday when several witnesses say the employee flipped the cart, scattering the family’s potential earnings onto the ground.
“He was being very aggressive,” said Graciee Sifuentes, who recorded video of the aftermath. She said the employee seemed to have targeted the girl.
Video then shows Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies tapping the employee on the arm while apparently signaling for him to walk back toward the stadium. “We just need you guys to back up to the other side of the street. I’m sorry about this,” one deputy says to outraged people.
Marlene told NBC4 that she’s doing better, but she was initially barely able to walk because her leg was hurt during the incident.
“It’s very hard to see someone treat your children badly,” Lesbia Tol Morales said.
Morales said her family invested in the cart and food to sell on weekends to make ends meet. They drove all the way from Bakersfield to capitalize on concert crowds, and now they are out of hundreds of dollars.
“One as a migrant comes here. One comes to fight, not to steal. One lives here fighting day after day,” Morales said, fighting back tears.
Another food vendor was also impacted during the incident, though it was unclear to what extent.
Someone did file a police report, but it was unclear if anyone was arrested.
In a statement, SoFi Stadium said it was aware of the incident and that it was working with law enforcement. “Maintaining a safe environment is our number one priority, and we regularly evaluate staffing and protocols across all of our vendors to ensure an enjoyable entertainment experience,” the statement continued.
Sifuentes, meanwhile, wants SoFi Stadium to fire the employee.
“They’re advertising and promoting, you know, Latino events, and this is how they’re going to treat our people? That’s not OK,” she said.
Source: NBC Los Angeles
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