Edhat Staff
Eight People, Including Edin Alex Enamorado, Were Charged with Conspiracy and Attempted Assault in San Bernardino County
This week a San Bernardino County judge decided to hold Edin Alex Enamorado and seven other people without bail due to charges connected with violence during protests.
Enamorado, an activist with a large social media following, is known to post stories and videos about street food vendors and other marginalized communities that experience racist threats and attacks. He recently brought attention to a Santa Barbara woman caught on video harassing a local construction worker and a food vendor, both Latino men, in separate incidents.
The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department stated a “months long assault investigation” led to Enamorado, 36, of Upland, being charged with false imprisonment, kidnapping, assault, unlawful use of tear gas, vandalism and other counts. The seven other people received similar charges.
The Sheriff’s Department requested a no-bail hold and a judge agreed, holding the eight people in custody until their next court date on December 28. All of them pleaded not guilty on Monday.
Enamorado has hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram where he shares videos of food vendors being harassed, elected officials making racist comments, and violent police arrests.
Following their arrests, San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus held a public press conference and alleged the suspects had manipulated videos and harassed subjects to gain attention and money while dubbing them the “Victorville 8.”
“This group is not about substance for the human condition,” Dicus said during a news conference, “but rather clickbait for cash.”
Dicus called the investigation “Operation Accountability,” although his office has yet to release evidence of these charges stating it’s an active investigation.
This past September in Santa Barbara, Enamorado released a video of an older white woman, Jeanne Umana, trespassing, harassing, and attempting to hit a Latino construction worker. The video went viral with Enamorado organizing a protest outside her downtown apartment complex that then led to a march to the Santa Barbara Police Department.
The Santa Barbara Police Department recommended criminal charges against Umana that led the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s office to filing two misdemeanors against the woman; battery and trespassing.
Enamorado continued to assert Umana should be charged with a hate crime and he stood outside the County courthouse after her court appearance to confront her attorney.
These charges against Enamorado and the seven others stem from an investigation into a September 3 protest where the defendants allegedly had a PepperBall gun or pepper spray and blocked a person from leaving the scene in a vehicle. The charges also indicate an alleged assault at a September 24 protest in Victorville, according to court documents.
Enamorado’s attorney, Christian Contreras, stated in a press conference the defendants are being targeted by law enforcement for their protests against police violence.
“San Bernardino County and these law enforcement agencies are criminalizing 1st Amendment activity,” Contreras said. “They are criminalizing the right to protest. They are criminalizing the right to call out the elected officials, and they are criminalizing their critics.”
Additionally Contreras is alleging he was not allowed to represent his client as Enamorado’s name was not listed on the court docket this past Monday. When Contreras arrived at the courthouse, the hearing was underway and he was told to remain seated.
Contreras also objects to holding the “Justice 8,” as he renamed them, without bail through the holidays.
“Even murders have a bail set, but here there’s a no-bail hold,” Contreras said.
He stated he would file an emergency appeal to have bail set.
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LOL….. here we go.
Honestly though, if it weren’t for the awful racist woman, this would never be all over our local news. Let’s not forget why this is important. What’s more, this does absolutely nothing to lessen or in any way diminish the cruelty, hate and violence used by Umana.
I know, I know…. “but Sac, why are you defending him?” Let’s just stop that before it starts, eh?
This is a foreign concept for you, but bad behavior is not an excuse for more bad behavior.
VOICE – exactly. That’s why his bad behavior doesn’t excuse her racist rants and physical violence. She’s still on the hook for her bad behavior.
Bet you didn’t think we’d agree on that, eh?
I feel like you and Garfish (give your past comments) are trying to “burn” me or something but you guys actually agree with me. Must be frustrating, huh?
This is what Anti-Racism sounds like
Garfish – yes, as I am extremely “anti-racism.” Everyone should be.
Murderers and rapists get bail, but whistleblowers don’t in shameless S.B..
Actually, that’s “shameless” San Bernardino…
RINCONER – what whistleblower didn’t get bail? Also, who’s the murder or rapist in this article?
The street food vendors that residents, mostly eastsiders and westsiders, have protested have been protested not because of their ethnicities or nationalities but because of their lack of City food preparation/sale permits. Such permits help guarantee that the food is safe to eat; without a permit, who knows! And they are required of all food vendors… Except, apparently, forj some. This activist conflates k
safe food. health concerns with racism and that does not add up.
BIRD – did you see the video of the local woman yelling racist things at the food vendor? THAT is what is the problem, not the protests against vendors who don’t have a license.
SacJon, No, I did not see the video of the local woman yelling racist stuff at the food vendor. I was referring to the vendors on Milpas and adjacent streets and the westside, where the vendors had no permits; some said the complaints were racist, but from what I heard they were not. (Sorry to be late replying; I do not come here often now with the new design.)
Seems it’s a convoluted issue. I understood the food vendor problem was mostly about people coming from LA without permits so local food vendors were upset they were skirting the rules, not necessarily about race/ethnicity. But the lady in the videos was making it about race. [not sure about the reference to the new design but might want to email Edhat with feedback]
Permits don’t guarantee that the food preparation is healthy. Permits simply provide a way for the City to control activity in the City and to acquire more money to fund the bureaucracy.
Ha, and people call the residents arrested in connection to 01/06 “terrorists” and yet glorify this scumbag because he said “you’re racist” to a concerned citizen. I’m glad we have one less entitled, self serving, self proclaimed activist social media addict terrorizing the common folk.
Just stop man. You’re in the wrong place and century if you consider racists like Umana “the common folk.” You’d be better off in Huntington Beach where they just proposed banning celebrations of minorities and women (eg, Pride, black history month, etc).
But, let’s just stop before we start though. You’ve made yourself known. You don’t need to proclaim it any longer. You are what you are and everyone knows it.
Still mad huh.
From someone who does nothing but parrot fringe social media, that SBS comment is hugely ironic.
The Rethuglicans stoking the fire for civil war will have to stand up to that same fire at some point.
Yo, Contreras. You clients facing charges were not “targeted.” They were arrested for violating laws they committed during their protests(s). “Justice 8?” What a joke you are. No doubt you are getting your share of the money you/they are “pimping” for. That’s quite a scam you have going since being admitted to the bar in 2020. Attach yourself to a group of protesters you likely know will violate the law and be arrested. Then “whamo,” there you are to save the day. Quite the hero. Or, maybe just a pimp. Didn’t even check to know the status of your client in San Bernadino County. Could have saved an unnecessary trip to the courthouse. But, no matter. It’s all billable time, right?
Yo, tough guy. I don’t think he’s reading your letter or whatever this is. Give him a call. Call him “a pimp” in person there, toughy.