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BERKELEY'S NEWS • NOVEMBER 18, 2023

GoFundMe for hot dog street vendor Beto raises more than $86K

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MARTIN FLORES | COURTESY

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City News Editor

SEPTEMBER 18, 2017

After a hot dog street vendor was given a citation and had his money taken away by UCPD Officer Sean Aranas outside of a Cal football game Sept. 9, a GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $86,000 for him.

A video of the incident, recorded by campus alumnus Martin Flores, went viral after being posted online. A repost of the viral video, which currently has about 23,000 views on Facebook, shows Aranas giving the vendor — who has asked to be referred to only as Beto, out of concern for his safety — a citation for vending without a license. In the video, Aranas also takes money out of Beto’s wallet.

In an interview with The Daily Californian conducted in Spanish, Beto said he was unaware at the time of the citation as to why the money was taken. Beto added that he never received a receipt showing how much Aranas took.

According to the campus’s official statement, Aranas took $60 from Beto as evidence of “suspected proceeds.” There were no other items taken as evidence. Three other individual vendors were cited by UCPD for vending without a license near the stadium that same day and were released with a warning, the statement added.

“I felt like a criminal. The little money that I made for my family, he took it away from me and made me feel like a criminal,” Beto said.

UCPD spokesperson Sgt. Sabrina Reich said in an email that public employees have a right to due process under the law, adding that the department is currently investigating the incident.

Since the citation, a petition calling for Aranas to be immediately removed from UCPD was created. The petition has a goal of 60,000 signatures and has received 56,901 signatures as of press time.

A GoFundMe campaign was also created by Flores for Beto. With an initial goal of $10,000, the campaign has since surpassed its preliminary target, having raised $86,855 as of press time.

After the incident, Flores visited Beto’s home in San Jose. According to Flores, Beto’s wife said one of Beto’s dreams is to have his own food truck and that he hopes the money raised by the GoFundMe campaign will go toward supporting that dream.

On Sept. 23, the money raised through the GoFundMe campaign will be presented to Beto at the UC Berkeley Center for Latino Policy Research at 11 a.m. — with bacon-wrapped hot dogs, courtesy of Beto and his family.

“I hope the admin can join us and give us a statement of apology and inclusion to make this wrong right,” Flores said. “We want to invite everyone to come down. This is community love for Beto and street vendors everywhere, to show the love we have for this matter.”

 

En español:

Después de que un vendedor ambulante de perros calientes recibiera una cita y su dinero fuera llevado por el oficial de UCPD Sean Aranas fuera de un juego de fútbol de Cal el 9 de septiembre, una campaña de GoFundMe ha recaudado más de $86,000 para él.

Un video del incidente, grabado por el alumno del plantel Martin Flores, se volvió viral después de ser publicado en línea. Un reenvío del video viral, que actualmente tiene cerca de 23,000 visitas en Facebook, muestra a Aranas diciendo al vendedor — que pidió ser referido sólo como Beto, por preocupación por su seguridad — una citación para vender sin licencia. En el video, Aranas también saca dinero de la cartera de Beto.

Beto dijo que no estaba consciente al momento de la citación de por qué se tomó el dinero. Beto agregó que él nunca recibió un recibo que demuestre cuánto Aranas tomó.

Según la declaración oficial del campus, Aranas tomó $60 de Beto como evidencia de “ingresos sospechosos.” No hubo otros artículos tomados como evidencia. Tres otros vendedores individuales fueron citados por UCPD para vender sin licencia cerca del estadio ese mismo día y fueron puestos en libertad con una advertencia, agregó el comunicado.

“Me sentí como un criminal. El poco dinero que he hecho para mi familia, me lo quitó y me hizo sentir como un criminal,” dijo Beto.

El portavoz de la UCPD Sgt. Sabrina Reich dijo en un correo electrónico que los empleados públicos tienen derecho a un proceso debido bajo la ley, agregando que el departamento está investigando el incidente.

Desde la citación, se creó una petición pidiendo que Aranas fuera inmediatamente removido de UCPD. La petición tiene un objetivo de 60,000 firmas y ha recibido 56,901 firmas a partir de la prensa.

Una campaña de GoFundMe también fue creada por Flores para Beto. Con un objetivo inicial de $10,000, la campaña ha superado desde entonces su objetivo preliminar, habiendo recaudado $86,855 desde el momento de la prensa.

Después del incidente, Flores visitó la casa de Beto en San José. Según Flores, la esposa de Beto dijo que uno de los sueños de Beto es tener su propio camión de comida y que espera que el dinero recaudado por la campaña de GoFundMe vaya a apoyar ese sueño.

El 23 de septiembre, el dinero recaudado a través de la campaña GoFundMe será presentado a Beto en el Centro UC Berkeley para Latino Policy Research a las 11 a.m. — con perritos calientes envueltos en tocino, cortesía de Beto y su familia.

“Espero que el administrador pueda unirse a nosotros y nos dé una declaración de disculpa e inclusión para hacer que este derecho mal,” dijo Flores. “Queremos invitar a todos a bajar. Este es el amor de la comunidad por Beto y los vendedores ambulantes en todas partes, para mostrar el amor que tenemos por este asunto.”

 

Jessíca Jiménez covers schools and communities. Contact her at [email protected] and and follow her on Twitter at @jesscajimenez_dc. Jessíca Jiménez cubre escuelas y comunidades. Póngase en contacto con ella en [email protected] y síganla en Twitter en @jesscajimenez_dc.
LAST UPDATED

SEPTEMBER 26, 2017


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