Woodland Hills Man Ordered to Pay Over $2.8 Million to Victims of Violent Attacks

A Woodland Hills man, Daniel McGuire, has been ordered by a jury to pay a total of more than $2.8 million in damages to two victims who were subjected to violent attacks. The jury found McGuire guilty of assault, inflicting emotional distress, and committing violent acts against street vendors Jonathan Alvarez and Tomas Leocadio. Both victims relied on their fruit stands as their sole source of income.

According to court documents filed by attorney Christian Contreras, McGuire’s reign of terror occurred between February and August 2022. During this period, he repeatedly harassed vendors working at the intersection of Canoga Avenue and Dumetz Road in Woodland Hills. In March of that year, McGuire distributed a racist manifesto in the neighborhood, referring to fruit vendors as “sub-American illegal aliens,” “hardened criminals,” and “cockroaches that need to be ground into the dirt.”

The complaint further states that McGuire terrorized Leocadio in March, using racist and vulgar language, which led the vendor to remove his stand from the intersection. In August, McGuire was caught on camera destroying Alvarez’s fruit stand with an ax. Additionally, video footage from a small rally held in May 2022 showed McGuire yelling at demonstrators and spraying them with a garden hose.

In response to the jury’s ruling, the plaintiffs’ attorneys issued a statement commending the verdict for sending a message that Los Angeles will not tolerate hate and violence against street vendors. They described the outcome as a landmark street vendor verdict, reflecting the community’s support for street vendors and the rejection of racism, bigotry, and hate.

The civil jury trial, which took place in Van Nuys Courthouse East, found McGuire guilty of assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligence. He was also found in violation of the Ralph and Bane acts, two California civil rights laws that protect individuals from hate, violence, and intimidation.

As per the jury’s decision, Alvarez is entitled to approximately $1.57 million in damages, while Leocadio is awarded around $1.27 million.