Councilman Proposes $25K Reward For Info On Suspects Who Brutally Beat Street Vendor In South LA

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Los Angeles City Council has announced a proposed reward for information leading the capture of the persons who brutally beat a street vendor, sending him to hospital with serious injuries.

Councilman Curren Price introduced a motion Wednesday to offer a $25,000 reward that could lead to five to six people being apprehended for a beating and robbery that left Pedro Reyes with a broken jaw and facial fractures, City News Service reported.

"We want to pursue and demand justice, that's the point we want to make today," Price said at a church near the site of the Sunday morning attack.

The reward still needs to be approved by the city council.

Security footage shows Reyes, 54, being chased down and beaten before members of a group comprised of four to five men and one woman go through his pockets.

The Los Angeles Police Dept. said the group stepped out of two vehicles and demanded Reyes' money, which he gave them. Still, they said Reyes received a beating and was knocked to the ground as he fled.

Reyes underwent surgery Monday for his injuries, which included facial fractures, a broken jaw, a cut to the neck and knocked-out teeth.

His stepson told CBS2 News Reyes was, surprisingly, not angry about the attack, saying this type of thing happens all the time. He said Reyes remembers much of the incident and is eager to talk.

Luis Gutierrez, a second vendor who was attacked during the melee, suffered bruises to his tongue, nose and the side of his face. A third vendor also suffered minor injuries.

A GoFundMe campaign was immediately set up for Reyes, who has no health insurance. He works for a roofing company during the week and sells peanuts and fruit on the streets of L.A. to make ends meet.

"That's his life. He works every single day. He doesn't have one day of rest," his stepson said Sunday.

Within a day, the online fundraiser reached $55,000 and by Wednesday had surpassed its $150,000 goal by over $1,000.

The suspects are described as four men, ages 25 to 40, and a woman around 25 years of age.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call LAPD at (323) 846-6572 or anonymously at (800) 222-TIPS.