Renee McAlonis and Mike Foster Bergie’s Bar and Grill grill owners reviled on social media for harassing Santa Clarita La Palma Fresh Fruit stall owners. Couple now apologize & claim receiving death threats.
A California ‘white’ couple — since identified as Renee McAlonis and Mike Foster former LAPD cop — have sent social media into upheaval after they were filmed threatening street vendor couple, Leobardo Ramirez and Sergio Medina and ordered them to leave for making the place look ‘ghetto’.
Video uploaded Sunday night shows Foster marching up to the La Palma Fresh Fruit stall in Santa Clarita, and telling the salesmen it ‘looks like s***’.
He folds his arms and tells them his partner has called the police before launching an expletive-ridden tirade.
‘It needs to f****** go,’ he says. ‘We aren’t the f****** ghetto, it needs to go’.
Social media users have mocked the man for having his flies undone while he insulted the fruit salesman, with one user posting, ‘This couple goes after street vendors for kicks.’
Hispanic man harassed by white couple for bringing his ‘ghetto’ fruit stand to their community in Canyon Country, California.
The couple, have been identified as Bergie’s Bar And Grill owners Renee McAlonis and Mike Foster. pic.twitter.com/VGVtxjiOTL
— Lars❄️Woke✊🏿Viking🇳🇴#FBR (@a_fly_guy) July 14, 2020
White couple vilified on social media
Social media users outed the couple as Renee McAlonis and Mike Foster, the owners of Bergie’s Bar and Grill, just feet away from where the vendors set up their stall.
The car the woman was sitting in is registered to the business abc7 reported.
The entity has since been flooded with one-star reviews online, with people accusing its owners of ‘wanting to misuse a policing system… against an immigrant just trying to survive during a pandemic’.
‘I just wanted to de-escalate the situation,’ said Ubaldo Alcantar, who filmed the unfolding scenario. ‘We’ve seen a lot of crazy things going on recently and we just didn’t want another incident.’
Hundreds lined up to buy fruit from the La Palma stand yesterday, in a show of support for the business.
The video begins with the woman shouting intelligibly at the vendors before getting into her black vehicle.
The recorder replies in Spanish: ‘I want to bring my fruit. The people here want it to arrive.’
Carlos Hakas Argentinian man harassing Mexican street vendor becomes most hated man
It turns out that co-owner of Bergie’s Bar and Grill is a former LAPD Cop and was arrested at Bob Hope Airport for drug possession. Amazing what Pandora’s Box opens and reveals to people. Renee McAlonis you are an idiot and a fool. pic.twitter.com/I6GVQvgfss
— Enrique Sanchez (@zerosignregime) July 14, 2020
‘These are the type of people that make this country the place it is today!
When Foster accuses the stall of being illegal, he says: ‘Ok, but it’s not hurting anyone man. Look at the way that you’re coming at people.’
The man yells in response: ‘Get it the f*** out of here! This isn’t the climate! It looks like s***.’
A second clip shows the police arriving to give the vendors a warning for not having a permit, before considering purchasing some fruit.
The first clip was posted yesterday with the caption: ‘Karen and Brad who just left Bergie’s attacked two hard working street vendors for making their area look ‘ghetto’.
‘These are the type of people that make this country the place it is today!
‘They are so full of hatred and anger towards someone just trying to support their family in order to give them a better life, it just makes no sense.’
Is it true you hire illegals then threaten them with ICE to underpay and control them? You and your husband #mikefoster are not only racists but breaking the law if true #bergiesbar #boycottbergies #blm #resist #santaclarita https://t.co/YlCb8SmQvD https://t.co/ScTuHbCEv9
— Darla goss (@GossDarla) July 13, 2020
Twitter Familia –
to those whom have seen video circulating of These Racist human beings Renee McAlonis & Michael harraisng a street vendor in the Santa Clarita, CA. We will be having a protest in front of their restaurant so spread the word.
*Please share retweet ✊🏼 pic.twitter.com/saxXz2Y2dh— Rain 🦋🇲🇽🇲🇽 (@haro_clarita) July 13, 2020
Bergie’s Bar and Grill suspend Yelp reviews
Californian state guidelines say it is illegal for street vendors to sell without a valid health permit and providing access to hand-washing facilities and hand sanitizer.
Social media users ridiculed Foster for failing to do up his trousers. One wrote: ‘This dude out here saying it looks like s*** yet he can’t even pull up his zipper like a big boy.’
And a second added: ‘He thought he’d shamed the poor guy for working and doing something right and he came out being shamed with his zipper down.’
Bergie’s Bar and Grill has since had to suspend its review function on Yelp and its Facebook page after it was inundated with a barrage of negative reviews.
One reviewer said: ‘Who do you think you are to harass a hard working man?! I’d rather eat from that vendor than you.’ While another posted, ‘Ridiculous! How do they try and shut down a hardworking street vendor, but they are posting on their IG about supporting small businesses!’
White couple apologize, claim receiving death threats
The incident led to the couple apologizing, with Foster telling local media, ‘We apologize for the entire situation,’ Adding, ‘We got out of control, and it should not have gotten to that level.’
‘My wife is now constantly getting death threats,’ Foster claimed. ‘A former employee posted our address and phone number online.’
‘The video does not show the whole thing,’ Foster reiterated. ‘I am not a racist.’
Community comes to the defense of street vendors
More than 400 people came to buy fruit from La Palma Fruit Stall on Monday reports The Signal.
Owners Leobardo Ramirez and Sergio Medina told the publication: ‘It feels so great to see all the support from the community. Thank you.
‘We started this business because of the pandemic, and it’s really important to us because we also have families to support.’
A GoFundMe page established to support the business had as of Wednesday morning raised $7845 out of its $5,000 target.
