Who are the Victorville 8 and why are they being charged with conspiracy?

I. Wendy Lujan and Edin “Alex” Enamorado arrested

In the early hours of December 2023, Wendy Lujan was awakened by screams at her Inland Empire home. The 37-year-old mother of five heard noises coming from outside her bedroom and immediately got out of bed to check on her children. At the time Lujan’s boyfriend, Edin "Alex" Enamorado, was sleeping in the same bed with her, alongside their family dog who began frantically barking.

Lujan told CALÓ News that upon opening her bedroom door, she was confronted by a squadron of police officers aiming their weapons at the couple. "We opened the door to our room and they already had their guns drawn out," Lujan recounted. With their weapons still pointed, the police instructed the individuals to come out with their hands raised. The commotion caused their dog, Soby, to bark loudly at the approaching officers.

During the ordeal, two of Lujan’s daughters emerged from their bedrooms. The police had pepper sprayed the family dog in an attempt to placate the barking, which resulted in Lujan’s 17-year-old daughter rushing towards Soby to get him away. However, as soon as she started to try and help, Lujan says the police redirected their attention towards her teenage daughter. 

Terrified for her family’s safety, and still unclear about what was happening, Lujan stepped in front of her child. “They started screaming at her, so I got in front of her and that’s when Eden got in front of me,” she said.  

As the yelling and shouting continued, Lujan suddenly became aware that she had lost track of her other children. She explains, “As we were coming out, I didn't see my son anywhere, so I started asking, ‘Where's my son?’ They wouldn't answer or tell us anything.” Lujan is also responsible for taking care of a daughter who is blind and fully immobile. Due to her disabilities, her daughter is mostly confined to a bed and requires full-time assistance.

Lujan recalls looking out the window of the squad car as she was being arrested and seeing her daughter and her son sitting on the sidewalk. She later learned that both had their phones confiscated so they were unable to contact any family members to come and pick them up. Enamorado was placed in a separate police vehicle as they were being detained. She took one final look at her family from the backseat of the cop car, unaware that it would be the last time she would see them all in person for the rest of that year. 

II. Who are the Victorville 8?

Unbeknownst to Lujan and her partner Enamorado, their arrest was just part of a larger group arrest. The Victorville 8, as they have come to be called online, are a group of individuals predominantly from Upland, California who engage with street vendor advocacy. 

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department reported that the Victorville Police Department began looking into the group over incidents that occurred during a series of protests in September 2023. The multi-agency investigation, labeled “Operation Accountability” by authorities, included corroboration between the Upland Police Department, Fontana Police Department and Pomona Police Department. As a result, detainees now face charges of assault, conspiracy, false imprisonment and kidnapping.

In December of 2023, when the courts issued arrest warrants for Lujan and Enamorado, authorities also apprehended David Chavez, Edwin Peña, Stephanie Amesquita, Fernando Lopez, Vanessa Carrasco and Gullit Acevedo. During a press conference, San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus alleged that the defendants were responsible for “violent acts during protests” that took place months prior. 

One of the events central to the case happened on Sunday, September 3, 2023. According to police reports, a confrontation occurred between a street vendor and an El Super security guard, hired through an outside private security firm. According to witness testimony, the El Super security guard approached the street vendor regarding their canopy tent being a few inches over the property line.

A video recording captured the security guard stepping out of his vehicle and getting into a heated argument with the vendor and his mother. The guard went on to knock the vendor's phone out of their hands during the altercation.

Word of the confrontation spread quickly online and within hours, dozens of local community members and activists arrived on the scene to demonstrate outside of El Super. Among those in the crowd that night were Enamorado and his partner Lujan. Enamorado live-streamed parts of the protest demanding accountability from the security guard for his behavior toward the street vendor. 

Throughout the evening, and in the days following, protestors clashed with El Super staff and unrelated shoppers, resulting in property belonging to the security guard being damaged. The police documented several battery reports and one citizen's arrest. Lujan was arrested during a protest for an outstanding warrant related to an unleashed dog infraction. However, the charge was dismissed by the judge.

Although the Victorville 8 have received significant public support since their arrest, particularly in grassroots activism circles, many people agree with law enforcement's assessment of the group's methods. The police claim that the group's detainees often use accusations of racism to intimidate and threaten their targets, and falsely portray themselves as protectors of the community.

III. The Investigation

Out of those arrested, Lujan’s partner, Enamorado is among the most recognized. The 36-year-old has cultivated a significant online following over the last several years on social media platforms, including Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.  His online content focuses on exposing street vendor harassment as well as instances of police misconduct. Enamorado has previously been successful in mobilizing his followers to action, which is part of why his legal defense is claiming he is being targeted. 

In an interview with CALÓ News, Enamorado’s criminal defense attorney Nicholas Rosenberg spoke about how police have utilized social media to track the activity of the group’s involvement in various demonstrations and mobilized gatherings. “We know that law enforcement does regularly check social media and they often use that as a free investigative tool,” he says.

It's worth noting that while all members of the Victorville 8 are activists, each has unique motivations for engaging in community advocacy. Vanessa Carrasco, for instance, is a mother of three daughters and considers herself a good Samaritan. Carrasco spoke to CALÓ News about how she got involved in organizing following a spike in attacks against street vendors throughout Southern California in 2023. 

Carrasco said she always liked helping people and felt compelled to action after witnessing many of the racially charged attacks online. “We signed up [for shifts] to watch over street vendors because these people are trying to make a living and they are constantly getting attacked,” she stated.

Carrasco has expressed that she has never experienced anything like this before and that it has been hard for her children, who are currently staying with their father. However, she has found some comfort in being in the same detention center as the other women who were arrested, and who frequently refer to each other as “sisters.” She remains firm in her belief that she is innocent. “I'm not rich,” she said, “but I can give my last dollars to help somebody and I've always been like that since I was a little girl…I rather help others and help myself.”

IV. Bail Denied 

As of the start of the trial, seven of the eight activists have been denied bail and are to remain in custody. Since the group was initially apprehended, only one of the defendants, Acevedo, has been permitted to post bail. However, the bail was awarded under strict conditions, which included refraining from speaking to the press or discussing his case on social media.

During the February 9 hearing, Judge John Wilkerson stated that he was unable to devise conditions for the remaining co-defendants that would sufficiently protect the public. The ruling caused a great deal of concern among the group's supporters and families. Bail is typically only refused in severe cases, such as when an individual poses an immediate threat to public safety or is likely to flee.

Enamorado's lawyer filed an appeal in the 4th Appellate District Court. The appeal  argues that setting zero bail was a “legal error.” According to Rosenberg, an equal protection argument can be made because Acevedo, who is facing lesser charges, was granted bail with specific conditions. Rosenberg requested modifications which included house arrest under the condition that his client not access social media, have no contact with co-defendants, and have no contact with the victims.

V. The Trial

There is much anticipation for the April 29th trial date, although there are concerns about the potential conflict of interest. Supporters argue that it would be impossible for the defendants to receive a fair trial in San Bernardino County due to their history of clashing with law enforcement in Victorville. If the defendants are found guilty, it could establish a dangerous legal precedent for watchdog activists. Although the many defendants are respected in their own communities, they lack institutional affiliations or resources to match the legal backing of the multi-agency investigation.

In the most recent trial update, Judge John Wilkerson denied two motions filed by the defense. Rosenberg had requested the court to examine the personnel records of the officers and deputies who are handling the case, including the personnel files of two Sheriff's detectives and a Pomona police officer. Enamorado’s defense attorney believed that the investigators may be cooperating with informants to set up the defendants. 

Deputy District Attorney Jason Wilkinson argued that there is no record of any conversations between the Fontana Mayor's office, the District Attorney's Office, and the Sheriff's Department. Carrasco's Defense attorney, Damon Alimouri, stated that the prosecutors could have shared this information earlier, leading Judge Wilkerson to rule that the defense's motions were denied.

Judge Wilkerson denied a second motion that challenged the jurisdiction and venue of the Victorville courthouse in San Bernardino County. As a result, the trial will remain in San Bernardino County, which Rosenberg believes will significantly affect the outcome of the case.

“We can win a trial if we have good open-minded jurors who don't have a bias against my client, against street vendors, against activists in general,” said Rosenberg, “but there is a whole list of potential biases in this trial.”