Street vendor activist arrested for series of attacks during protests
Deputies arrested a local street vendor activist on Thursday for a series of assaults at protests across the Inland Empire and Los Angeles County.
During a press conference, the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department booked 36-year-old activist Edin Alex Enamorado with seven felonies:
- Conspiracy
- False imprisonment
- Criminal threats
- Assault with a deadly weapon
- Prohibited person in possession of tear gas weapon
- Felon in possession of a firearm
- Kidnapping
Investigators claim that Enamorado and seven other accomplices posed as "Robin Hood-ish" figures by representing under-represented populations. Enamorado has frequently defended street vendors throughout Southern California, recently providing free security to a taco stand that was robbed at knifepoint.
"This group manipulates videos and photos on social media in an attempt to make them look like they are protectors of under-represented people," San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said. "However, they use racism to threaten and intimidate their victims, causing them to get on their knees to beg for forgiveness while still assaulting them."
Deputies started investigating Enamorado's crew in late September, following a protest in Victorville. They claimed that Enamorado and seven others brutally assaulted a person during the demonstration. Authorities learned about other assaults at protests in Pomona, Upland, Fontana and Los Angeles County connected to the group.
"What this group does is not protected by the First Amendment — it's illegal," Dicus said.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff accused the group of editing videos so they could profit off of their crimes.
"They have a large following. The more clicks they get, the more money they make as it relates to how the systems the operate in work," Dicus said. "They're more about not substance for what their issues are but really getting that clickbait and making money off of that, just like any internet influencer does."
The seven other people arrested with Enamorado are:
- Wendy Lujan, 40
- David Chavez, 28
- Stephanie Amesquita, 33
- Gullit Eder Acevedo, 30
- Edwin Pena, 26
- Fernando Lopez (Patino), 44,
- Vanessa Carrasco, 40
Deputies booked the others with various felonies, including false imprisonment, conspiracy, criminal threats, and different severities of assault.
