Caught On Camera: Mother, Daughters Working At San Bernardino Taco Stand Attacked
SAN BERNARDINO (CBSLA) — A woman and her two teenage daughters working at the family's taco stand in San Bernardino were robbed and beaten late Sunday night.
The family said Rafaela Morales and her daughters were punched in the face and Morales was also kicked in the stomach during the attack. Morales and one of her daughters were taken to the hospital to be treated for their injuries.
According to Paola Rodriguez, Morales' older daughter, the attack was so upsetting because it started after a dispute over the temperature of the food.
"We gave it to them hot, but they got upset that they let it get cold," she said.
According to Rodriguez, the three people wearing white pants in the video — two women and a man in their late 20s to early 30s — demanded a refund and more free tacos. When Morales refused to replace the tacos that had already been eaten, Rodriguez said the trio turned violent, stole the cash bag from the stand and drove away in a white Ford Fusion and a white Nissan Altima.
"They stole everything we had made that day," Rodriguez said. "And we can't do nothing about it."
A GoFundMe page set up for the family said the attack happened Sunday night and that the family not only lost all of the money made that night, but also the food that had to be thrown away following the attack.
But on Friday, Morales muscled through yet another day over the hot griddle, under the even hotter sun, cooking sizzling meat at her stand, Rafaela's Tacos.
The difference this time is that she's not alone.
Erica Flores and her husband live in San Bernardino and decided to do something after hearing about the attack.
"I let her know, you're not alone, I'll be out there," Flores said. "I'm a mother just like you."
The couple has been out at the corner of Del Rosa and Highland avenues for the past few days, standing guard over the family as they work.
"We're seeing a lot of street vendors being attacked," Flores said. "I don't like it, not one bit."
Flores said she and her husband were hoping to show the family that they have the support of the community.
"The goal is just try to get the community together, do what you can do, even if it's just you and your husband sometimes," Flores said.
The family said they were planning to fight through and continue running the taco stand.
The San Bernardino Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
