Skip to Content
Featured

A beloved Churro Vendor In Downtown Was On Her Way To Work When She Was Struck And Killed By A Drunk Driver

Screenshot via: GofFundMe

The incident occurred this past Sunday as Angeles Rodriguez a street vendor known for selling churros and fruit in Downtown Los Angeles was heading to work when she was struck by a drunk driver.

The GofundMe page where the family of the beloved street vendor is currently raising funds for funeral and memorial expenses said the single mother of three was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Rodriguez is described by family and colleagues as a “caring and loving mom, grandmother, wife, sister, and daughter” and someone who was always willing to help out others. Receiving anyone who frequented her stand with open arms and a smile. The street vendor who worked closely with the vendor advocate group Inclusive Action was one of the early participants of the organization's micro-loan fund that help entrepreneurs like herself take their business to the next level. 

In an Instagram post by Rudy Espinoza, Executive Director for Inclusive Action he shared how the organization was recently helping Rodriguez develop her social media profile and presence. Her business coach Luis Moran who also works at Inclusive Action said her business helped sustain her family and her absence is felt deeply.

“She was very driven and very passionate about her work, it showed because recently she had the opportunity to do catering at Benny Boy which is a big deal to a street vendor because they are tapping into other markets,” said Moran. “We had just met a week ago to talk about her catering menu and she was so excited trying to get pictures.”

The news has hit vendor advocates and the street vendor community hard, with many expressing the dangers street vendors face when working or making their way to work.

“Es un dolor enorme, it’s an enormous pain we are feeling,” said Mario Ramos a street vendor who met Rodriguez while selling his ice cream in the piñata district. “She was friendly and was always trying to organize our community and would always stand up for us when the police would try and harass us.”

He said everyone who knew her is still in shock, he is one of many who are currently helping the family with planning her funeral. Saying they have barely had time to process her death due to the stress of figuring out how they will pay for everything when as vendors they only make so much. 

Unfortunately, incidents like these are seen all too often like in 2021 when two fruit vendors in Ontario were run over by a DUI driver leaving one in critical condition and the other 20-year-old Ariel Tucubal dead. That same year, a corn vendor in Watts was shot in the stomach while making his rounds in the evening, although he recovered from his injuries, the attack highlighted the risks and dangers vendors face on a day-to-day basis. 

At the moment the family is also looking for legal advice as they seek justice for Rodriguez, according to Ramos the person responsible for Rodriguez's death was arrested with a $1000,000 bail, the person is said to have paid 10% of his bail and has since been released.

The family does plan to create a buy-out where they will sell food to raise funds more details on when and where it will happen will be shared later this week. 

Tragedies like this make us feel powerless, but we know we always have a role to play in supporting our community. Today, the very least we can do is support her family financially,” read a statement from Inclusive Action. 

For those wanting to donate do so here. For information on the upcoming buy-out visit Inclusive Action for upcoming flyer details.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from L.A. TACO

DAILY MEMO: ICE Besieges Los Angeles and Surrounding Counties With Over 20 Raids Profiling U.S. Citizens and More

Over 20 ICE operations were confirmed across Southern California on August 21, with nearly 30 people taken from vehicles, homes, workplaces, and public spaces, including a violent 4 a.m. raid near San Manuel Casino and mass detentions at car washes and Home Depots. Disturbing incidents included suspected impersonators abducting a woman in Long Beach, masked agents seizing a woman at an Oxnard bus stop, and reports of detainees held in overcrowded, freezing conditions with only minimal food.

August 21, 2025

Opinion: Shattering the ‘Liberal Zionist’ Myth

And why saying "Free Palestine" isn't antisemitic.

August 21, 2025

DAILY MEMO: Agents Allegedly Break A Young Man’s Leg and Hospitalize Him During a Car Wash Raid and More

On day 76 of ICE raids, violent arrests were reported across Southern California, including a boy beaten and hospitalized in Huntington Beach, a man taken outside a prenatal clinic in Huntington Park, and multiple detentions near schools, car washes, Home Depots, and workplaces from Beverly Hills to East L.A. Community impact is mounting, with businesses like Lupita’s Bakery reporting a 40% sales decline, while federal prosecutors indicted Adrian Andrew Martinez under charges his lawyer says are politically motivated and amplified by fearmongering.

August 20, 2025

I’m a 17-Year-Old Zapoteca in L.A., Choosing to Help My Community Over Fearing ICE

Volunteer over fear. Even when things feel hopeless, scary, and distressing, it is important to focus on what you can do and start where you are.

August 20, 2025

DAILY MEMO: Federal Agents Detain A Father After School Drop-off in a Case of ‘Mistaken Identity’ and More

ICE raids across Southern California targeted multiple sites, with detentions reported in Cypress Park, Oxnard, Whittier, Fullerton, Rancho Cucamonga, Costa Mesa, Santa Ana, Bakersfield, and other locations, including incidents near schools and courthouses that left families shaken. Meanwhile, community groups demand the release of a high school student taken in Van Nuys, celebrate the reunion of another detainee with family, and Anaheim launched a new website to track ICE activity.

August 19, 2025

You Missed Over 1,800 Succulents at the Country’s Biggest Cactus Bash, In Arcadia

Some of the rare succulents for sale included Yemen’s rare euphorbia abdelkuri and Chile’s copiapoa marginata, where nine seedlings sold for $1,900. Other rare cacti on display can live up to 700 years.

August 19, 2025
See all posts