A San Bernardino court judge today again denied bail for seven street vendor activists facing charges of conspiracy, assault, false imprisonment and kidnapping among other felonies.
For five days, Judge Zahara Arrendondo has heard from police officers who allege the group has threatened and brutalized three alleged victims in Pomona and Victorville.
The judge ultimately ruled that the testimony and evidence is enough to hold the defendants.
Edin Enamorado, the alleged ringleader of the group, is also charged with illegal possession of a firearm. The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s office says Enamorado is a convicted felon.
Damon Alimouri represents Vanessa Carrasco, one of the defendants. He says he’s extremely angry that the charges have been filed in the first place.
"They’re completely arbitrary, they’re completely unjust," he said outside the courtroom. "They’re completely out of line with the spirit of the United States constitution."
Judge Zahara Arrendondo dismissed most charges against one defendant, Gullit Acevedo. But he still faces a misdemeanor assault charge.
The District Attorney’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
The judge set the next court dates for next week.
