Hanford street vendor concerned for safety after verbal attack
The family of the street vendor said they are planning on filing a police report.
HANFORD, Calif. (KFSN) -- Last Friday, Jose Luis Perez-Hernandez was on his way home after an afternoon of street vending when he encountered a man who was shouting profanities at him.
He says he was verbally harassed and believes the attack was racially motivated.
In a video of the encounter, now circulating online, the man says "This isn't (expletive) Tijuana."
The man is seen holding a golf club, at one point he slams the club on the driveway.
"He got up and started looking for something, and I was like he's looking for a weapon. And he picked up a golf club," said Patricia Reyes, Perez-Hernandez's sister-in-law.
Perez Hernandez is permitted to sell in Hanford.
According to the city's ordinance on street vending: "Roaming sidewalk vendors are permitted to sell in residentially zoned neighborhoods from 7 am to sunset."
Perez-Hernandez was not breaking any laws by taking his cart through the street, but he says he believes the man in the video was threatening to harm him.
Hanford Mayor Travis Paden released this statement:
"The hostile and derogatory language I heard in that video was unacceptable. All vendors are a valued segment of our business community, and they should be treated with our collective respect. I am committed to making Hanford the most vibrant and welcoming community in the Central Valley."
The family said they are planning on filing a police report.
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