Local Street Vendor Activist And 7 Others Being Held Without Bail Slated To Appear In Court

A local street vendor activist and seven others who are being held without bail on several charges for violence at protests are expected to appear in Victorville Superior Court on Tuesday.

Authorities allege the group were involved in a “brutal assault” at a protest in Victorville on Sept. 24, and are responsible for “violent acts” at other protests in San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties.

The group’s leader, Edin Alex Enamorado, an Upland resident, has built up hundreds of thousands of followers on social media for his regularly posted videos of people abusing street vendors, including racist rants and robberies. Enamorado often tracks down the perpetrators to get them to apologize or in some cases, get them fired from their jobs.

He’s also posted heated confrontations with law enforcement, including at a pro-Palestine protest in Los Angeles and his own arrest in Apple Valley while he was protesting outside the home of a woman who was allegedly caught on camera insulting Spanish speakers in a Disneyland bathroom.

Enamorado is now facing several charges, including kidnapping, false imprisonment, and unlawful use of tear gas, according to jail records.

The seven others — Wendy Lujan of Upland, David Chavez of Riverside, Stephanie Amesquita of San Bernardino, Gullit Eder Acevedo of San Bernardino, Edwin Pena of Los Angeles, Fernando Lopez of Los Angeles, and Vanessa Carrasco of Ontario — are facing similar charges.

All eight were arrested earlier this month after what authorities described as a months-long, multi-agency investigation called “Operation Accountability” that started with the assault in Victorville.

Authorities said they’ve collected evidence to corroborate the crimes. However, they added that the evidence will not be released at this time to protect the investigation.

Enamorado and the group are accused of using racism to threaten and intimidate people, and orchestrating their social media content to make it look like they’re the protectors.

“This group is not about substance for the human condition, but rather clickbait for cash,” said San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus at a news conference on Dec. 14 after the arrests. “Videos of the truth were manipulated and put out to the public to make it look like an underserved population was being represented — kind of Robin Hood-ish. When, in fact, there was felonious activity behind this.”

Enamorado pleaded not guilty on Dec. 18, but a spokesperson for the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office told LAist the court had “concerns for the safety of the public” and decided to hold all eight without bail.

A small protest formed outside the Victorville Superior Court during their initial appearance, according to social media videos posted by “People’s City Council - Los Angeles.” In those videos, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies can be heard telling the crowd and an ABC7 camera crew to move away from the area.

Christian Contreras, the civil rights attorney representing Enamorado, hosted a news conference from what appeared to be the courthouse parking lot later that day. He said it’s clear San Bernardino County is criminalizing First Amendment activity.

“They are criminalizing the right to protest, they are criminalizing the right to call out elected officials, and they are criminalizing their critics,” Contreras said.