Street vendor beaten and robbed, suspect cars caught on camera

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A street vendor is recovering from a violent attack in Southeast Fresno. The vendor was attacked in the middle of the day in a busy part of Fresno, near Fresno Pacific University.

Both of the suspect cars are Ford Mustangs, one of them is customized.

A few pieces of spilled corn on the cob mark the spot where police say an Elote, or corn vendor was beaten and robbed.

"It is kinda scary to see an ambulance drive up and police drive up," said neighbor Kenneth Berg. He had just arrived home Wednesday, with his grandkids, when he saw the commotion in front of his house.

Investigators say the victim, a Mexican national, was riding his bike along East Townsend Avenue when three men stopped him to order corn.

"At that point they start punching him, about 8-9 times, at one point one of the suspects brings out a knife and holds it to the victim's stomach," said Fresno Police Sergeant Mark Hudson. "And then he gets robbed of $60 in cash."

The crooks also took the victim's cell phone and then sped off. What they didn't count on was surveillance cameras at nearby Fresno Pacific University.

Video shows a red car coming down the street. It's the key suspect car, police say. A late 1980's model convertible Ford Mustang 5.0.

Police want people to take notice of the black stripe down the center of the hood, the black gas cap cover, and blacked out tail lights.

From another surveillance camera you see a silver early 1990's model Ford Mustang. A closer look and you can see the five spoke rims. All of these are important details investigators hope will track the suspects.

"We're able to say that those are the suspect vehicles driving away," Sgt. Hudson said.

"So anybody that can identify these vehicles or the suspects that robbed this person, we're asking them to call the Fresno Police Department right away."

The victim was badly beaten, but refused to go to the hospital. Neighbors say they're heartbroken over the attack and will be more vigilant. "Keep your eyes and ears open," Berg said.

The victim and several witnesses positively identified those mustangs to detectives here as the suspect cars. Investigators say there is a reward for helping catch the attackers.