Suspect of street vendor DTLA assault is arrested

After Constantino Garcia posted a video on Instagram saying that his mother, Arabelia Martinez, was assaulted in downtown L.A., he posted an update that the suspect is in custody. 

"We are incredibly relieved to share that the individual who assaulted our mom is now in custody," Garcia said in his post. "We are deeply grateful to Detectives Roman and Aguirre of the LAPD, who have stood by our family every step of the way. We also want to thank the people of Los Angeles, and everyone around the world, for the incredible outpouring of love, prayers, and support." 

Garcia said his mother is at home resting.

The video shows a woman yelling at Martinez. Garcia said the woman told her she needed a permit and to “go back to Mexico,” as well as hurling other racist comments. When Garcia’s mother tried to defend herself, the woman approached her and proceeded to hit her. Several bystanders tried to stop the assault. The woman also destroyed Martinez’s stand and all the food. 

Content creator Carlos Eduardo Espina has also posted about the video. According to Espina, he spoke to Garcia and his mother is currently hospitalized due to injuries from the assault. 

CALÓ News reached out to Garcia and will update this story if we receive further information. 

“My mom has dedicated herself to her work every single day, rain or shine, to provide for our family,” Garcia said in the GoFundMe page he set up to help his mom. “She is one of the most resilient and loving people I know, and no one deserves what happened to her. The assault not only left her physically and emotionally shaken, but also resulted in damage to the items she works so hard to maintain.”