Video captured earlier this month depicts an exasperated California restaurant owner expressing his frustration to police after a Los Angeles County health inspector fined him.
Carlos Roman, who owns Bread & Barley in Covina, seemingly reached his breaking point when the health inspector visited his establishment to ensure that coronavirus restrictions were being followed, according to CBS Los Angeles.
Roman was reportedly cited because two people were eating on a bench outside his restaurant, which he maintained was on public property and not within his responsibility. The restaurant received two $500 fines for failure to comply and interfering with a health inspector.
“[The health inspector] decided to come today and take pictures of people outside, and saying that he’s going to fine us and we can’t work out here,” Roman told police.
“If I can’t work, he can’t work,” Roman added, who blocked the health inspector’s car in with his truck.
“This is what happens when people get desperate. I’m desperate. Who’s going to pay [my employee’s] parking? Who’s going to pay my cook’s rent?” Roman asked. “[The health inspector] needs to know how hard it is.”
“Did you get a paycheck on Friday?” Roman asked the inspector, who stood silently. “Did you get a paycheck? My people don’t. I bet you got a paycheck, didn’t you? You’re just doing your job, right? We’re all in this together? When I go to the bank I can tell the bank the health department said it’s OK? The health department said I don’t have to pay you? The health department said I can’t make a living?”
Police eventually convinced Roman to move his truck so that the health inspector could leave and advised him to take up his concerns with the health inspector’s supervisors. Roman, however, explained how he had already done that, and it made no difference.
“What do I got to do? A bunch of f—ing idiots burned down LA and everyone responds, ‘Oh, let’s respond to that.’ Is that what we have to do? We all have to march and go burn the f—ing city down?” Roman said.
A GoFundMe page has since been established for Roman and his restaurant.
WATCH:
A judge overturned Los Angeles County’s ban on outdoor dining earlier this month, but it did not have a practical effect. As The Daily Wire reported:
Los Angeles County’s ban against outdoor dining at restaurants has been overturned by a judge who ruled that health department officials “acted arbitrarily” and without “rational” justification when they issued the order last month.
An overlapping regional stay-at-home order has since been issued by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, however, which supersedes the county directive, keeping the restriction in place for the time being.
L.A. County Superior Court Judge James Chalfant issued a tentative opinion on Tuesday, which he adopted later in the afternoon, concluding the mandate from L.A. Public Health was “unsupported by any findings.”
Although the judge’s decision granted a temporary injunction that lifted the countywide restriction, Chalfant made clear, “outdoor restaurant dining in the county cannot reopen at this time.”
Related: Judge Lifts Los Angeles County Ban On Outdoor Dining At Restaurants, But State Order Still In Effect