Watch CBS News

Berkeley Hot Dog Vendor Busted By Police Gets $87,000 On GoFundMe

BERKELEY (AP) -- A street vendor who had his money confiscated for selling bacon hot dogs on a Berkeley sidewalk without a permit has received more than $87,000 raised by supporters.

The East Bay Times reports Rigoberto Matias on Saturday received a check for $87,921 from Martin Flores, who recorded a video of the Sept. 9 event that went viral and sparked an online outcry and a fundraising campaign.

In the video clip Flores posted on his Twitter account, he questions a University of California, Berkeley police officer's decision to confiscate Matias' money as unfair.

officer takes money
UCPD Officer Sean Aranas removes money from the wallet of a hot dog vendor. (Martin Flores)

Flores, a UC Berkeley alum, also kicked off a GoFundMe campaign to help Matias, a construction worker who sells hot dogs on weekends to earn extra money.

© Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.