Man who allegedly overturned SoFi vendors' carts is fired

Man who allegedly overturned street vendor carts outside SoFi Stadium is fired

An exterior view of a gate at SoFi Stadium.

June 6, 2023 Updated 7:32 PM PT

A man accused of overturning a pair of food carts on a busy street outside a concert at SoFi Stadium on Saturday evening has been fired, stadium officials confirmed Tuesday morning.

“The individual involved was employed by a third-party vendor, and we have been advised that he has since been terminated,” read an emailed statement from SoFi Stadium officials, who did not identify the man.

“Maintaining a safe environment is our number one priority, and we will continue to regularly evaluate staffing and protocols across all of our vendors to ensure an enjoyable entertainment experience.”

A TikTok video posted by street vendor activist Edin Alex Enamorado shows the mess created by the incident, including dozens of bacon-wrapped hot dogs, buns, onions and various condiments tossed on the ground outside the stadium.

The incident took place shortly after 11 p.m. Saturday as fans were leaving a Romeo Santos concert, Enamorado said.

Vendors move their carts close to the stadium’s exits to catch outgoing patrons, Enamorado said. The vendors told him that one of the workers at the stadium instructed them to step back off the street and then lost his temper when they ignored his directives, he said.

“He came outside and told one of the vendors, ‘I thought I told you to back up,’ and that’s when he got upset,” said Enamorado, who did not witness the incident himself. “That’s when he pushed down both carts.”

One of the carts was being staffed temporarily by three children, including the 12-year-old daughter of the cart operator, Lesbia Tol, who had briefly stepped away, Enamorado said.

Enamorado said the girl suffered a bruise to her leg during the incident.

The girl, Marlyn Roquel, told KTLA that she was terrified.

“When he pulled the cart, I start crying because I was scared about it,” Marilyn said.

Graicee Cifuentes, Enamorado’s niece who attended the concert, said none of the vendors were blocking walking paths.

“No one was on SoFi property, so there’s no reason for this kind of reaction,” she said.

Cifuentes said there were 20 to 30 vendors present at the concert’s conclusion and that the atmosphere was relaxed.

“You have sheriffs walking around along with other SoFi employees watching and hanging out. Nobody was bothering anybody,” she said. “Except for that one guy.”

Los Angeles County sheriff ‘s deputies, who were providing security outside SoFi, separated the angry SoFi worker from the carts, vendors and some patrons, the video showed. The worker reentered the stadium and deputies said that any investigation would be handled by Inglewood police.

Multiple calls to Inglewood police Monday and Tuesday have not been returned.

Enamorado said he was unaware of any charges being filed.

SoFi officials initially did not confirm a stadium employee had been at the scene on Monday evening, stating they were “aware that an incident occurred Saturday night outside of the stadium and are working with law enforcement to look into the matter.”

By Tuesday morning, stadium officials confirmed the worker who had been involved had been fired.