Young Flower Vendor Slammed to Ground Outside River North Bars, Sparking Calls for Better Protection

A young girl selling flowers outside two River North bars was picked up and thrown to the ground by a woman early this month. The attack was caught on surveillance video and has renewed concern about the safety of street vendors, particularly children, working in Chicago's late-night entertainment districts.

The video shows the encounter outside Moe's Cantina and Tree House on Kingsbury Street as the two bars were closing around 3 a.m. A woman walks up to the girl, who is holding a bundle of flowers, appears to exchange words with her, then grabs her and throws her down before bystanders step in to stop the confrontation.

Sam Sanchez, who owns both Moe's Cantina and Tree House, said he watched the footage with disbelief.

"Unfortunately intoxicated people are not in their right minds, and this woman did the most unspeakable thing," Sanchez said.

No police report has been filed in connection with the attack, and the identity of the woman seen in the video has not been established. Sanchez said he has since seen the girl back in the area but has not learned where her parents are or whether she has any adult supervision while working at night.

Sanchez said the attack fits a pattern he has watched develop over roughly two years, as children have become a common sight outside River North bars deep into the early morning hours, moving through crowds of drunk patrons to sell flowers, candy or trinkets.

"Anywhere there's an entertainment district, there's children out until 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning, approaching intoxicated people, running by themselves," Sanchez said.

He said he has raised the issue with local lawmakers before, pushing for some kind of policy response to address minors working alone in bar districts at hours when most of the adults around them have been drinking for hours. So far, he said, nothing has changed.

The Street Vendors Association of Chicago said the River North attack is not an isolated case. Maria Orozco, with the organization, said vendors across the city regularly face harassment and violence while trying to earn a living.

"Just to do it to anyone and for you to have the heart to do that and especially seeing this is a young girl, it breaks my heart to see people are capable of doing such things," Orozco said.

People out in River North this week said vendors, including those selling flowers late at night, are part of the neighborhood and should not have to fear for their safety while working.

"It's really kind of distressing. I think these people out here, no matter their age, they're just trying to make a living, make a few bucks however they can. And they should feel as safe as anyone else out here," said Bennett Westling, who was in the area.

Paige Cole, another passerby, said vendors are simply trying to get by.

"Anybody who has a purpose doing so should be able to do whatever they want out here, sell flowers. It's harmless," Cole said.

The attack comes amid a string of violent incidents near Chicago bars this summer. A 30-year-old man was shot and killed during a fight near a Lincoln Park bar earlier this month, and the Cook County state's attorney's office announced it would not file charges in a separate deadly shooting near a Lincoln Park bar called Dime, which has since been shut down. Those cases involved adults. Sanchez said the flower vendor attack shows the same late-night volatility around bars can affect children working the streets at night.

Without a police report on file, there is no active criminal investigation into the woman seen attacking the girl, and no charges have been announced. Sanchez said he hopes the video circulating publicly might help identify the woman or prompt her to come forward.

The girl continues to sell flowers in the same stretch of River North, according to Sanchez, who said he has not been able to connect her with any support services or determine her age or family situation. Advocates with the Street Vendors Association said they plan to keep pressing the city to look at protections for vendors, particularly minors, working near bars after midnight, though no specific ordinance or city council proposal has been introduced as of this week.