PHOENIX (AZFamily) – Two Valley brothers will spend eight and a half years behind bars for stopping street vendors in downtown Phoenix.
Dayron Eriberto Perez Gonzalez and his younger brother Kevin Carlos Perez Gonzalez pulled out guns and stole hundreds of dollars in at least five cases in one month.
Prosecutors believe street vendors have become prime targets for theft and assault because of their fear of reporting crimes.
Community advocates are encouraging anyone who has had this happen to them to come forward and receive some semblance of justice.
“The focus, I think, for a lot of these criminals is on companies that are making a lot of money, where it’s opportunistic,” said Deputy Attorney Jonathan Hutcheson, the prosecutor on the case.
According to court documents, the Gonzalez brothers would approach street vendors in a non-threatening manner.
“They ordered something or asked for change. That would cause the seller to shift their focus to preparing something or grabbing something, and that’s usually when the gun came out,” Hutcheson said.
The two brothers did the same thing at least five times and committed at least four robberies within four days.
“Two of them were the same victim, a minor,” said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell.
Video of the arrests shows both suspects being followed and apprehended by several undercover officers.
Court documents show police also found two handguns in their car.
“They should not have had firearms and should have possessed them illegally and certainly should have used them to commit all these armed robberies,” Hutcheson said.
Jose Guzman is director of a nonprofit organization for crime victims and says many affected people have difficulty contacting police for a number of reasons.
“This is their only job because they are undocumented,” he said. “They think they’re going to report you, catch you and send you back to Mexico. They have no way to get paid.”
Gabriel Gonzalez was not a victim of these suspects, but was robbed a few times in his 21 years as a street vendor.
“It was about six o’clock, at least that I remember. But when I think about it, it was probably more,” he said.
He has only filed one report, but says it takes people standing up to bring about real change and safety for others.
“I didn’t see how reporting could help the community get rid of the bandits,” he said.
In many of these reported cases, the victims provided details about the suspects and their cars, which prosecutors say helped them and police in the case.
Guzman works closely with victims, law enforcement and Silent Witness.
He asks that anyone who has been a victim contact him through his organization. Padres en Parientes de Victimas de Crimen.
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