LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Flower stands outside Forest Lawn cemetery, near Griffith Park, were deserted after several vendors were detained by federal immigration agents on Monday.
Forest Lawn Drive is a popular spot for flower vendors, serving people going to the cemetery. One of them told Eyewitness News that federal agents took seven vendors into custody.
"They left all their flowers. They left all their buckets. They didn't have nothing besides their own personal belongings, like their phone, and this guy that we worked with, he had ran off so he won't get caught, and he's been gone since yesterday, so we don't know if he's still hiding," said flower vendor Alexis Rodriguez.
Rodriguez was selling flowers on Monday and witnessed several vehicles arrive, before individuals who she described as Border Patrol agents began questioning vendors -- and eventually detaining them.
"I saw this lady run across the street, and I was like, 'Oh, what's happening?' And she just kept looking back, scared. And then once they took her away, they were in three unknown cars, all tinted, no license plates, no stickers, no nothing at all." Rodriguez said. "There's this one person, he works here, he was a guy, and they took him, but he has a daughter and a wife here, and it's just kind of sad because what if she's like 'Where's my dad at?' And he's not coming home."
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Kevin Florencio says his dad employs many of the vendors around the cemetery and knows them personally.
"His name was Bruno. He had a sister and a son that's here. We're trying to find them where they're at and we're trying to talk to them how we can. Try to help them out," Florencio said.
He added that he has been selling flowers with his dad since he could walk, and that this recent incident has not only affected business but also morale.
Rodriguez said that she was back out at Forest Lawn on Tuesday, but did not see any more federal agents.
No further details about the detained vendors were immediately known.