Video captured the moment a taco vendor was violently attacked by a woman refusing to pay for her food in South Los Angeles.
The assault happened while the victims were working on Sunday night. On Wednesday, the suspect was identified as 36-year-old Renee Latrice Hines by the LAPD.
The victims said after Hines was served food that she had consumed, she attempted not to pay for the items. When they asked Hines to pay, that’s when she went on a violent rampage.
Cell phone video captured the suspect smashing the sidewalk taco stand and beating a female employee. She is seen punching the employee in the head, using pepper spray and throwing items on the ground while destroying the taco stand.
Hines is then seen driving away in a distinctive vehicle — a 2007 pink-colored Lexus sedan.
“When she finished spraying me, she started throwing everything and then she grabbed me and started to hit me,” said victim Joanna Vasquez. “She pulled my hair and then punched me in my shoulders. She punched me in the face. She unloaded on me and then let me go.”
After filing a police report, the encounter was posted on social media with hopes the woman can be located and arrested.
“I just want her to pay for what she did,” Vasquez said. “They need to put her in jail and fine her and she needs to pay for all the damage because it is not right what she did.”
Bystanders and other workers at the taco stand recalled feeling terrified of the situation and how far things could potentially escalate.
“I was worried about Joanna and concerned that something worse was going to happen to all of us,” said Marco Ortiz, the victim’s coworker. “It’s very dangerous to be out here but we have to work and make money to pay the rent and support our families.“
“They’re hard-working people,” local resident, Steve Alonzo. “That’s the message we want to get out to the masses. They’re hard-working people. Leave them alone.”
Hines remains at large. She is described as a Black woman weighing about 162 pounds.
Anyone who knows Hines’ whereabouts or has additional information should call LAPD Detective Channing Lang at 213-972-7888 and/or Detective Kelly Sullivan at 213-972-7886. The public can also call LAPD at 1-877-527-3247. Anonymous tips can be submitted to the LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.