One of two security guards confronting a street vendor outside a Home Depot in San Jose was captured on video kicking and knocking over the vendor's crates of strawberries.
The video, recorded by the street vendor last week, shows the two guards approach him in the parking lot of the Home Depot on Story Road.
"If you don’t leave, I’ll put you under arrest," one of the guards can be heard saying.
Posted signs state the area is private property, but day workers and other vendors congregate daily.
One of the guards appears to then kick over the vendor's strawberries. Afterward, the other guard calls police.
"They’re ganged up and refusing to leave and they’re calling their friends for help," the guard is heard saying.
The guard also told the dispatcher that the vendor and his friend could have hidden weapons.
"These two security guards not only kicking the fruit down to the floor was unacceptable, but just the taunting, the false accusations could have gotten, not only the street vendor hurt, but the day laborers," street vendor advocate Edin Enamorado said.
Enamorado posts videos on TikTok and Instagram of street vendors when he feels they're being harassed. Most of those videos go viral.
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"It’s sad, it's a said thing, but it’s a normal thing to happen," he said.
In a statement, Home Depot said, "We contacted out third party security company, and the people in the video no longer work with us."
San Jose police said they did respond to the scene after the guard called, but they ended up taking a report on behalf of the vendor. Officers expect that report to reach the district attorney's office for possible prosecution.
Advocates say street vendor harassment has skyrocketed by 300% during the last 10 years.
Street vendor Leticia Magana, who has the proper vendor permits, said she's often told to leave the sidewalk and to go back to her country.
