Thread: Taco trucks are target of sweep in San Pedro

Today is Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Originally published Sunday, May 27, 2007
Updated Sunday, May 27, 2007
Taco trucks are target of sweep in San Pedro
Police call them a "blight," but their customers just want to eat. Officials from health, police, sanitation and public works check for permits and sanitation.
By Megan Bagdonas
Staff Writer

By sunset Friday, anyone craving late-night carne asada tacos on Pacific Avenue in San Pedro was plumb out of luck.

As more than 25 officials from health, police, sanitation and public works departments synchronized radio frequencies and finalized tactics for the taco-truck take-down, caterers prepped their trucks and put out fresh salsa in expectation of the usual end-of-the-week rush.

But instead of serving up tasty Mexican snacks that night, caterers were served with orders to shut down.

The popular outdoor eateries, say police, are a visual blight on the community and encourage littering, jaywalking and violence.

"These types of environments are a magnet for crime because people leave the bars, they are drunk, they come to get a bite, end up picking a fight and then all hell breaks loose," said Senior Lead Officer Joe Buscaino.

The multi-department operation targeted four catering trucks in the port town. It began with undercover vice squad teams and uniformed patrol officers securing all locations simultaneously by 8 p.m. - then came the men in green jackets.

Working their way south along Pacific Avenue, environmental health specialists from the county Health Department closed down each kitchen on wheels due to sanitary violations or lack of permits.

At Angelito's Tacos on Fifth Street and Pacific Avenue, health inspectors confiscated and disposed of large bags and boxes of vegetables because they were stored outside.

Salsa in laundry detergent bottles and meat not kept either below 41 degrees or above 135 degrees were also tossed into the Sanitation Department trash truck brought in specifically for this purpose.

Since each caterer was parked on private property, the county Public Works Department was not able to cite them for violating any Municipal Code sections, such as illegal sidewalk sales or vending within 100 feet of an intersection, which could have been grounds for impounding the vehicle.

Watching as health inspectors raided Tacos Quiroga, his favorite snack truck, Roman Torres, 32, said he would be upset if it got shut down permanently.

"The food is good and they're providing a service for everybody," said the longshoreman, who eats at the 14th Street truck at least twice a week.


"Working on the docks, my lunch hour begins at 10 p.m. and at that hour there ain't a lot of choices. You get sick of McDonalds, Del Taco and Taco Bell."

As savory smells of grilled and marinated meat wafted out of his modern-day chuck wagon, the owner of Tacos Quiroga stood by, frustrated as health inspectors rifled through his cupboards and took the temperature of all the food that wouldn't be sold that night.

"I know they have a job to do, but this is out of proportion," Hector Gutierrez, 55, said after his truck was shut down because his name didn't appear on the permit.

"I don't see why a task force of two dozen police, undercover agents, detectives and the vice squad are needed to take care of four lunch trucks. It's excessive. I think they could have used their manpower to take care of crime in a better way."

The caterers were ordered to remain closed until they have a hearing with health officials to discuss their health code violations.

First-time offenders will not be fined, one official said.

megan.bagdonas@dailybreeze.com

megan.bagdonas@dailybreeze.com
USER COMMENTS ( 5 of 32 total | view all )

"ugh! pedro"
it sure sucks to live in pedro!

posted: Monday, May 28th at 23:38 PM


"think of the larger picture"
Just for the sake of convience some in San Pedro will accept the slumlike conditions in our streets. Push carts, vender trucks, food being sold on the street corners etc. Chances are all of these are never inspected. So what San Pedro is saying-- We want no laws in our town. Whats good for one group of people is good for all others. Watch what you fight for San Pedro.
- mb
posted: Monday, May 28th at 13:03 PM


"one cop job"
All the reasons stated for harassing these guys is bull#$%% I have been eating at these trucks for years and have not witnessed any crime or ever gotten sick from there food. One cop could of wrote the ciatiation. Waste of resources, on the part of the agencies involved. Check your prirorities.
- All Kaos
posted: Monday, May 28th at 0:38 AM


"venders"
this is for jer i'm talking about food not drugs .jail the drug dealers,

posted: Monday, May 28th at 0:19 AM


"Gosh! Plumb out of luck! Golly!"
Hey Ms. Bagdonas, would the tone of your article be as wafty if the Taco Truck owner's name was John Smith? A Spanish surname is all you need to get a free pass these days. If Ms. Bagdonas gets her way, Tijuana, California is just a few years away. That sounds so "savory." Pathetic.
- pvr527
posted: Sunday, May 27th at 23:16 PM

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Find this article at:
http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/articles/7707982.html

Besides the safety of the food I always wonder how many owners pay income tax on their sales.

All these bums do business on a cash basis. You can guess for yourself how much taxes they pay. They're crooked in Mexico and they import that crookedness up here to the USA.

As more than 25 officials from health, police, sanitation and public works departments synchronized radio frequencies and finalized tactics for the taco-truck take-down, caterers prepped their trucks and put out fresh salsa in expectation of the usual end-of-the-week rush.

Why wan't ICE invited to the party..........just in case.

Since each caterer was parked on private property, the county Public Works Department was not able to cite them for violating any Municipal Code sections, such as illegal sidewalk sales or vending within 100 feet of an intersection, which could have been grounds for impounding the vehicle.

That must not be the case in Houston, since many of these rolling disease wagons are literally on the corners iin several areas. I wish something like that would happen here.