Hardworking mom is kicked to the ground and beaten in brutal food stand brawl in Los Angeles

By WILKO MARTÍNEZ-CACHERO, US REPORTER Published: 16:17, 24 June 2026 | Updated: 16:19, 24 June 2026 A hardworking mother has been thrown to the ground and brutally attacked in the streets of Los Angeles in a wild brawl that was captured on camera. Arabelia Martinez, 62, was selling hot dogs around 4pm last Monday in the 700 block of Figueroa Street, as she has done for years to provide for her family. Video showed the moment Martinez was suddenly confronted by a woman, who proceeded to pour a sauce or condiment over her food stand. Martinez appeared to toss back tajín, a red Mexican spice mix made of chili peppers and lime, at the woman, who then escalated the spat. She yanked Martinez down to the floor by her hair and began pummeling her as bystanders attempted to separate the two for about a minute. That did not deter the woman, who repeatedly yelled 'b***h' as she continued to attack Martínez, pulling her hair and swinging at her from behind. Constantino Garcia, Martinez's son, said that the woman initially claimed that his mom was not allowed to sell food in the area and was trying to 'extort' her before embarking on a 'racist' tirade. 'One of the [racist remarks] was one of the most utterly disgusting things I've ever seen in my entire life, if not the most,' Garcia told CBS LA. 'Something that should never happen again to anyone.' Arabelia Martinez, 62, was violently attacked in Los Angeles by a stranger last Monday Video of the brawl showed a woman repeatedly swinging at Martinez as she tried to run away When the woman confronted Martinez and began pouring a sauce or condiment over her stand she responded by throwing what appeared to be tajín, a Mexican spice mix, at her On Instagram, Garcia claimed the woman told his mom to 'go back to Mexico.' 'She's your classic Mexican mom, works extremely hard, tough, pours love into everything she does, and is a great cook,' he said.  As of Wednesday, the shocking footage had more than 9.8million views and had been shared about 140,000 times on Instagram. In a GoFundMe fundraiser, Garcia described his mom as a 'beautiful, hardworking street vendor' in downtown LA. 'She is one of the most resilient and loving people I know, and no one deserves what happened to her,' he added. Garcia added the items his mom works with were damaged and that she was left 'physically and emotionally shaken.' As of Wednesday, the fundraiser had raised about $96,000 of its $120,000 goal. Garcia said he would try to organize an event where his mom could cook hot dogs and aguas frescas. The following day he said his mom was still 'not feeling well and needs rest to recover.' Martinez's son has shared video of the suspected attacker in an effort to track her down Video of the brawl showed the woman on top of Martinez on the ground and repeatedly trying to strike her in the head Garcia said his mom would have to see a head specialist after the attack, as she was suffering from recurring severe headaches. 'As you could see in the video, she got slammed to the ground,' he told KTLA. He called for the woman who attacked his mom to be taken in by police. 'I want her to get caught,' Garcia said. 'I want my mom to get justice for what happened to her.' The Los Angeles Police Department told the Daily Mail on Wednesday that a battery investigation had been opened into the incident but that it could not provide further details while it was ongoing. A TikTok user who claimed to be the woman in the altercation posted videos defending her role, according to the outlet. 'People saying I antagonized her,' she said, per KTLA. 'Okay, maybe. Maybe just a little bit by putting Chamoy on the hotdog.' She added: 'If you could throw Tajín and a bottle at me, how do I know what's coming next?' Footage of the brawl's aftermath showed Martinez, in the gray jacket to the left, and food all over the floor Martinez has sold hot dogs on the 700 block of Figueroa Street for years to support her family Sebastian Gutierrez, who delivers for Uber Eats, arrived at the scene moments after the 'horrible' brawl. He said the woman he accused of attacking Martinez seemed to be under the influence or have mental health issues and that she continued wreaking havoc after the assault. 'Then I see her suddenly push over all of the items of at least one of these vendor stands,' Gutierrez told ABC7. He claimed the woman tipped over a hot dog cart, as well as dozens of fruit cups. 'It really made me angry, myself, witnessing that,' he said. 'Worse than a lot of the others.' Gutierrez also suggested that this was a recurring issue in LA, saying there was 'no reason' for these sorts of street fights. 'I've seen other times people getting attacked and whatnot here, but that really, it just feels so wrong,' he said. The LA Civil Rights Department sounded the alarm on the 'ongoing wave of threats, harassment, physical attacks, and robberies' that were targeting street vendors across the City of Angels. 'Many vendors are immigrants, seniors, working parents, and valued community members striving to build a better future through honest work,' the group said in a statement. 'No one should fear violence simply for earning a living.' The Daily Mail has reached out to Garcia and Martinez for comment. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. 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