Skip to Content
News

Former Taco Madness ‘Best in Show’ Winner Tacos Cuernavaca Robbed at Gunpoint in East L.A.

12:42 PM PDT on May 30, 2018

[dropcap size=big]I[/dropcap]t was a slow, but normal Wednesday night for Osvaldo Martinez, one of the taqueros of Tacos Cuernavaca, a family operated taco truck parked on Whittier Blvd. late nights in East Los Angeles—until he and his nephew, who is also an employee, began packing up early Thursday morning.

As they were cleaning up around 2 a.m. last Thursday, three people showed up to the taco truck with their faces covered, wearing dark sweatshirts and held Martinez and his nephew at gunpoint. One person climbed into the truck where Martinez was and held a gun to his stomach. The thief began cursing and threatening him in Spanish, he told L.A. TACO. The thieves wanted money and they eventually got away with roughly $1,000, leaving Martinez and his nephew unharmed.

The former Taco Madness “Best in Show” winners are the latest street vendors to be robbed at gunpoint. ABC 7 reports that hours before the incident, a similar crime happened not so far away.

In March, a horrible attack in South L.A. that left a street vendor in the hospital with serious injuries was caught on camera. Street vendors, especially those working after dark, are vulnerable to attacks and robberies because their business is to work out in the open without security.  

RELATED: Video Captured Robbery Attack that Left Oaxacan Street Vendor Badly Beaten

The incident marks the fourth time in 10 years Tacos Cuernavaca are robbed. Martinez thought about fighting back during the assault, but he thought about his mom and young son he has to look after. He also had a surgery later that day related to a heart attack he had last November in which he had to be revived.

"At that moment, you’re just praying to God and hope it all goes by fast."

“I had to do the smartest thing and that was giving them the money,” Martinez said. “It wasn’t worth dying again for that amount of money.”

The taco truck used to have surveillance cameras, but they no longer work. When asked if he’s scared to work late at night, Martinez said it’s something he has to do, but he does get nervous.

“My job is to provide a service to people, but you don’t know what to think. A lot of people come and sometimes they talk to you nicely, sometimes they don’t, but it’s part of the job to serve people who come late at night,” he said. “The nerves don’t go away.”

RELATED: Street Vendor Gets a Taste of Justice ~ The Case of Humberto Yauli

Overall, Martinez loves his job and wishes thieves would stop scaring people who are just trying to work.“At that moment, you’re just praying to God and hope it all goes by fast,” he said.

Of the experience, Martinez said, “I felt like God gave me another chance.”

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from L.A. TACO

Bronny James Cleared To Play Basketball Again By His Doctors

In August, the James family said that after comprehensive initial an follow-up exams, "the probable cause of Mr. James' sudden cardiac arrest has been identified. It is an anatomically and functionally significant congenital heart defect which can and will be treated.

November 30, 2023

Where To Eat This Weekend: Boozy Fresas Con Crema, El Ruso’s New Flour Tostadas, Heritage Fire, and Hotville’s Fried Chicken-and-Chorizo Paella

Plus, where to go for Jordanian shawarma, mezcal-cured steelhead trout tostadas, powerful hash crackers, a local viewing of KISS's farewell concert, and L.A.'s most opulent Sunday brunch.

November 30, 2023

Sonoratown Will Open a Long Beach Location Next Year

Expect to find the city's favorite flour tortillas and caramelos on 3rd Street in Downtown Long Beach, as soon as six months from now.

November 30, 2023

Glendale’s Excellent New Taco Stand Harassed By Self-Described “Police Informant”

A Glendale police officer says he had arrested Emanuel Gulakian for assault with a deadly weapon only a couple of weeks earlier, after the man threw rocks at another taco stand.

November 29, 2023

Ski-Masked Suspect Who Fatally Shot Man at L.A. Live Restaurant Last Night Is Sought By Police

A male suspect left the scene of the shooting in a white Honda, possibly an SUV. According to on-scene reports, the suspect was wearing an all-black sweat suit and ski mask.

November 29, 2023
See all posts