Los Angeles, Ca
Long Beach taco truck worker beaten, robbed in violent confrontation
A man recalls the terrifying moment he was beaten and robbed while working at his family’s taco truck in Long Beach — the second time they’ve now been targeted.
The victim, Erick Flores, was working at the Los Bros Tacos truck located on Junipero Avenue and 7th Street when two suspects suddenly approached him on Thursday, May 2.
“They crossed the street and came walking up,” Flores recalled.
One male suspect was wearing a black hoodie and the other was wearing a red hoodie as Flores, who worked as a cashier in front of the food truck, spotted them.
As the man in the black hoodie began ordering food, that’s when his accomplice made his move.
“The guy with the red sweater ended up grabbing my hand and was struggling to get the money out,” Flores said.
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Two male suspects seen on security camera about to rob the Los Bros Tacos Truck in Long Beach on May 2, 2024. (Los Bros Tacos) -
Two male suspects seen on security camera about to rob the Los Bros Tacos Truck in Long Beach on May 2, 2024. (Los Bros Tacos) -
Erick Flores was left bloodied and with a broken nose after being beaten and robbed by two men on May 2, 2024 in Long Beach. (GoFundMe) -
The Los Bros Tacos truck in Long Beach, California. (KTLA) -
Erick Flores was left bloodied and with a broken nose after being beaten and robbed by two men on May 2, 2024 in Long Beach. (KTLA) -
Manuel Antonio working at the Los Bros Tacos truck in Long Beach, California. (KTLA) -
Erick Flores and a coworker outside of the Los Bros Tacos truck in Long Beach, California. (KTLA) -
The Los Bros Tacos truck in Long Beach, California. (KTLA) -
Erick Flores and a coworker outside of the Los Bros Tacos truck in Long Beach, California. (KTLA)
Surveillance video captured the tense confrontation as Flores tried to fend off the robbers. As he yanked his hands away, that’s when the thieves knocked Flores to the ground and repeatedly punched him in the face.
“I remember he was screaming at me but I don’t actually remember what he was saying,” Flores said, still stunned. “Everything happened so fast.”
Flores’ coworker, Manuel Antonio, noticed the commotion and stepped into action. He was able to chase the suspects away but not before the men escaped with the money and some cash from Flores’ pocket.
He was left with a broken nose and was found bloodied and bruised by his coworkers.
Antonio can relate to Flores’ experience as he was also robbed at gunpoint and beaten while working the Los Bros Taco truck back in December 2023. The truck had only been serving the Long Beach location for two months back then.
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Surveillance video captured masked thieves storming into the Los Bros Tacos truck on Dec. 16, 2023 in Long Beach. (Los Bros Tacos) -
Surveillance video captured masked thieves storming into the Los Bros Tacos truck on Dec. 16, 2023 in Long Beach. (Los Bros Tacos) -
The Los Bros Tacos Truck in Long Beach. (KTLA) -
The Los Bros Tacos Truck in Long Beach. (KTLA) -
The Los Bros Tacos Truck in Long Beach. (KTLA)
“This was our dream goal to start a business and flourish as a family,” Flores said of his family’s truck.
Flores was filling in for his mother on the night he was attacked. He said he was relieved it was him who was there instead and that he is alive.
However, after the violent incident, the family said serving the Long Beach community has taken a toll and is considering whether the city is the best place for their future.
A GoFundMe page created to help Flores with medical bills and to replace the stolen money can be found here.
The suspects remain at large as police continue investigating the incident. Anyone with information can call Long Beach police at 562-570-7260.
The star-studded feel-good giveback event of the summer has returned. KTLA 5 is teaming up once again with Project Angel Food for the annual “Lead with Love: Going the Distance” telethon to raise critical funds for medically tailored meals delivered to people living with serious illnesses throughout Los Angeles County. The seventh annual telethon airs […]
A woman was hospitalized with serious injuries after she was violently attacked by a robber in downtown Long Beach. On June 18, Jennifer Silva, 34, was attending a World Cup watch party at a Hooters restaurant at 90 Aquarium Way. After the game ended, she left the restaurant just before 11 p.m. As she walked […]
Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
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A courtroom sketch of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, during his initial court appearance on Oct. 23, 2025. (Bill Robles) -
The U.S. Dept. of Justice booking photo of Jonathan Rinderknecht over the Palisades Fire devastation in Malibu, California in January 2025 (AP).
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
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