Family of slain Fresno street vendor hopes ‘he gets justice.’ Community vigil planned
The arrival of spring and longer days marked the beginning of the busy season for Lorenzo Perez, one of many street vendors in the Roosevelt neighborhood of southeast Fresno.
In a barrio where numerous vendors roam the streets, loyal customers would flock to Perez’s white-and-blue three-wheeled cart, following the smell of steamed corn that he would serve as an elote or esquite, drenched in mayonnaise, lime juice, cotija cheese, spicy chili powder and sometimes hot Cheetos dust.
Crushed dollar bills in hand, children would line up and sing along to the tunes of festive cumbias radiating from his cart, eager to choose from homemade paletas, churros and nieves, as well as an assortment of candies and chips, as he laughed and sung with them.
“The neighbors knew him, loved him and appreciated the joy he brought to their block,” said Ashley Rojas, executive director of the southeast Fresno nonprofit Barrios Unidos.
On what was otherwise another warm, sunny afternoon, Perez last Sunday was seen walking on the corner of Alta and Pierce avenues when a man in his late teens approached the 45-year-old around 4:30 p.m. A few moments later, the gunman drew his weapon and fatally shot Perez in the head before fleeing in a getaway vehicle.
His killing was not an isolated incident. At least two other Fresno street vendors — 49-year old Francisco Velasquez and 53-year-old Jose Rivera — were shot in 2020. At least 21 people have been killed so far in Fresno in 2021, amid a rise in crime and gun violence in the city’s poorest neighborhoods.
At a news conference Thursday night, Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama identified 18-year-old Palmdale resident Demarcus Jaime Vega as the suspect. He was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder and is being held in the Fresno County Jail.
Balderrama said the Police Department will not “put up with violence” against vulnerable community members.
“The Fresno Police Department is certainly not going to put up with this type of violence,” he said. “The message that I want to say is that for anybody who is thinking of assaulting and murdering an innocent person, such as Mr. Perez, we will find you and we will lock you up.”
Perez, a native of Oaxaca, Mexico, is survived by his wife Veronica Hernandez and four children, ages 15, 13, 9 and 1. In an interview with The Bee, his wife and oldest son described Perez as a devoted, hard-working husband and father who was well-liked in the community.
“Many people knew him,” 15-year-old son Isai Perez said. “He was known around the community and he was very social. He would have conversations and make friends.”
‘He always provided for us’
Perez always woke up early to go to the market to buy corn. The family said he didn’t have a car, so Perez ran errands on his bicycle.
He made his daily rounds on his vending route, traveling along Kings Canyon Road and down Butler and Church avenues, before returning home come sundown. He would stay up late prepping his cart for the next day.
He often brought his young daughter with him for company while strolling the neighborhood during his grueling, 12-hour workdays.
On days when he worked long hours, the family would stay up and wait for him.
“He always provided for us and made sure we were never in need of anything,” Hernandez said in Spanish. “He was always there for his kids. He loved to play with them and be present in their lives. He was so happy to see them when he got off work.”
She recalled that the family would visit nearby lakes during the blazing hot summers.
“We would go to the river and lake and he would take the kids with him in the water and play with them,” she said. “He was such a good father.”
There wasn’t a day where he wouldn’t play “La Bamba,” one of his favorite songs, Isai said. Perez “always had a positive attitude about life” and “didn’t go a day without working,” according to the son.
“He didn’t let anything stop him,” Isai said. “He was a hard worker, but also someone who would always persevere — no matter what.”
Isai said he knew how dangerous his dad’s job was. Perez regularly faced customers who wanted items for free or would get upset when they couldn’t barter for a lower price, he said.
Still, he said, Perez was the kind of person who would do his best to “give back to the community when he could.” He would often give homeless people something to eat or offer help.
“He didn’t deserve to go like this,” the son said. “He still had a lot to live for, he was only 45 years old. We just hope that he gets justice.”
Vulnerable street vendors ‘don’t have a choice’
Fresno City Councilmember Luis Chavez, who represents the area where Perez was killed, said street vendors like Perez are a vibrant staple of Mexican culture.
“They’re iconic — ask anybody that grows up in southeast or southwest Fresno, especially in the Latino community,” he said. “That’s a tradition that obviously was started in Mexico. Whether it’s raspados, whether it’s elotes, whether it’s tamales or various other foods, it’s part of our culture and it’s part of our history.”
Chavez said the uptick in violence and the killings of street vendors contribute to the community’s widespread fear and threaten the vibrancy of Latino neighborhoods across the city.
Yet vendors sacrifice their safety to put food on the table, he said.
“I’ve spoken to other food vendors — they don’t have a choice,” Chavez said. “They have to go out there because if not, they can’t pay their bills and provide for their family. If they don’t feel safe, then our communities don’t feel safe.”
Police officials say food vendors are particularly vulnerable because unlike retail staff, they’re not protected by security guards or cameras. Many are undocumented and often don’t speak English well or have to work several odd jobs to make ends meet, Chavez added.
To help the family stay afloat, Chavez and Councilmember Esmeralda Soria set up a GoFundMe fundraiser for Perez’s funeral expenses. As of late Thursday night, the fund had received more than $148,000.
Community members plan on hosting a vigil in honor of Perez on Sunday at 5 p.m. at the Pilibos Soccer Park, 4945 E. Lane Ave.
Local artist Omar Huerta is creating a mural to honor Perez at 1444 C St.
This story was originally published March 26, 2021 at 5:00 AM.