Fruit stands are a common sight across the Valley. Many are perfectly legal. But the Merced County Sheriff says he's seeing more and more illegal stands that he feels pose a threat to the public.
Merced County Sheriff's Deputies laid out their plan of attack before hitting the streets in search of illegal fruit vendors.
Sergeant Paul Roseman soon spotted a man unloading a van full of goods just off of Highway 59 in Merced.
"He's got a little bit of everything. He's got flowers, he's got coconuts, and he's got seedless watermelons," said Roseman.
But he didn't have a permit. So other task force members arrived to take his produce and give him a ticket. It's a devastating blow to a young man who says he can't get enough work in the fields to support his family and doesn't have the right equipment or identification to get a permit.
Apolinar Flores-Rojas said, "I worked here for a year and I've lost a lot of money ... money that I don't have."
But Sheriff Mark Pazin says the illegal stands are a real cause for concern in part because they often have young children at sites that have limited water, no bathrooms, and are near busy intersections.
"All it's going to take is not to be paying attention to the child, run into a major intersection and we're going to have a terrible accident," said Sheriff Pazin.
Authorities also say it's impossible to know if the fruit is safe or if it was stolen.
And vendors who do have permits say the illegal stands hurt their sales by offering the items at lower prices. So they support this operation.
Maria Franco said, "She said it's fine because she knows she's doing everything right."
Deputies cited two vendors and seized about 15 hundred dollars worth of produce. The average ticket costs about $250.00. That's three times the price of a permit.
