A pair of street vendors were robbed at gunpoint and one of them was shot in the foot in Florence on Saturday.
The robbery and shooting in the 300 block of East Florence Avenue occurred just after 11:30 p.m., according to Officer Cruz of the Los Angeles Police Department.
The man who was shot, Pablo Briones, said he’s still recovering after he tried to intervene when a robber confronted another vendor and demanded money before hitting the other vendor in the head.
Lizbeth Velasquez, whose family business, the food truck Tacos Arandas, was robbed, said Briones “entered into the situation because he’s a very good friend of ours and just wanted to help out.”
But when Briones stepped in, the gunman pointed his gun at Briones and demanded his money as well before opening fire.
“He had to be rushed to the hospital, but unfortunately, they were not able to take the bullet out because it would’ve done more damage than good,” Velasquez said.
The robber didn’t get far, though. He’s been known to many vendors in the area for years, and on Sunday, Velazquez drove around, found the shooter and reported him to police.
Briones said he’s just happy his attacker is behind bars.
“I’m glad he’s gone because now he won’t be causing trouble. He’s robbed other vendors before,” Briones said.
