WOODLAND HILLS—On August 21, a fruit stand vendor, who was set up on the corner of Canoga Avenue and Dumetz Road, was attacked by a man wielding an ax. The assailant, Daniel Joseph McGuire, is a repeat offender. He has attacked vendors in the past.
The assault spurred the action of City Councilman, Bob Blumenfield. On August 26, Blumenfield filed a motion to further expand protections for street vendors.

The councilmember has been fighting for street vendors’ rights prior to this incident.  Blumenfield worked for the protection of the vendors to be able to work and sell their wares.  At one time it was not unusual for people to come and attempt to shut the vendors down.

Blumenfield, showed surveillance video footage of McGuire destroying the victim’s fruit stand and spoke to his fellow constituents about not allowing these intimidation tactics.

“Any attack against a street vendor is abhorrent, and everyone who sees this video should be deeply disturbed. Violent vigilante behavior is illegal and immoral. This individual will be held accountable. Such an attack is clearly an attempt to intimidate both his victim and other street vendors and cannot be tolerated.”

Reports indicate that McGuire launched similar attacks on vendors at the same intersection in March and in May.

On May 7, McGuire was taken into custody by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Valley Jail in Van Nuys on a citizen’s arrest.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) Inmate Information Center, McGuire was arrested at 2:15 p.m. and booked into jail shortly afterward. He was released on his own recognizance at 9:12 p.m.

McGuire’s court date was scheduled for June 2, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. at Van Nuys Municipal Court Division 101, 14400 Erwin Street Mall.

The Woodland Hills community came out in support of the victim of this attack.

A GoFundMe account was started by Edin Enamorado to benefit the victim of this destruction, who chooses not to use his full name, but to only go by Jonathan. As of August 15, $6,730 has been raised for Jonathan who lost his fruit stand and most of his produce in the attack.