16-year-old cited for selling flowers without a permit

Last week 16-year-old Zoraide Santos was selling flowers near the intersection of Harris Road and Gosford when she was issued an infraction for not having a business license.

BUSINESS PERMIT MADE ITS WAYAROUND SOCIAL MEDIA LAST WEEK.AS 23ABC'S KALLYN HOBMANNREPORTS.

THIS VIDEO HASSPARKED VARYING REACTIONS.

BUTCITY OFFICIALS ARE STANDING BYTHEIR DECISION.LAST WEEK..

A 16 YEAR OLD GIRLWAS SELLING FLOWERS RIGHTHERE AT THE CORNER OF HARRISROAD AND WILDERNESSPARK.

SHE WAS ISSUED ANINFRACTION FOR NOT HAVING ABUSINESS LICENSE.

WHILE SOMEWITNESSES ARE ANGRY THAT SHE GOTIN TROUBLE.

THE CITY SAYS IT'S AMATTER OFPUBLIC SAFETY.16 YEAR OLD ZORAIDE SANTOS HASLIVED IN LOS ANGELES SINCESHE WAS THREE YEARS OLD.

SHEBEGAN VISITING HER UNCLE INBAKERSFIELD AND SELLING FLOWERSWHEN COVID-19 HIT A FEW MONTHSAGO.

SHE SAYS SHE HOPES TO SAVEENOUGH MONEY TO ATTENDCOLLEGE."JUST TRYING TO WORK, TO YOUKNOW,HAVE MONEY FOR THE FUTURE, FORCOLLEGE.

I WILL BE THE FIRST ONETO GOTO COLLEGE IN MY FAMILY."LAST WEEK..

SANTOS WAS ISSUED ANINFRACTION FOR SELLING HERFLOWERS WITHOUT A BUSINESSPERMIT.

A WITNESS RECORDED THISVIDEO OF THE INCIDENT.

ANGRYTHAT SANTOS GOT IN TROUBLE.THE VIDEO MADE ITS WAY AROUNDSOCIAL MEDIA..

RECEIVING MANYMIXED REACTIONS.BUT CITY PUBLIC INFORMATIONOFFICER JOE CONROY SAYSSTREET VENDORS LIKE SANTOS MUSTHAVE BUSINESSPERMITS FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY ASWELL AS THE SAFETY OFOTHERS."PERMITS KIND OF HELP NAVIGATESOMEOF THOSE RULES AND REGULATIONSFOR BUSINESSES AND THAT WAY THEYKNOW WHERE THEY CAN BE, WHERESAFE PLACES, AND WHERE THEYCAN'T BE SO THAT THEY DON'TENDANGER THEMSELVES OR OTHERS."SANTOS WAS GIVEN A WARNING ONTHURSDAY.

BUT RECEIVED ANINFRACTION ON FRIDAY AFTERRETURNING TO THE SAME SPOTTO SELL HER FLOWERS AGAIN.CONROY SAYS THE MAIN CONCERN WASTHE POTENTIAL FORCAR CRASHES AS VEHICLES WERESTOPPING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROADTO PURCHASE HER FLOWERS ASTRAFFIC CONTINUED TOFLOW."IT'S A HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUE.WEJUST WANT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLEAREN'T BLOCKING STREETS ORPUTTINGTHEMSELVES IN DANGER AND CAUSINGTROUBLE WITH TRAFFIC AND THATKIND OF THING."SANTOS SAYS SHE IS CURRENTLYAPPLYING FOR A BUSINESSPERMIT.

AND PLANS TO CONTINUESELLING HER FLOWERS SO SHE CANREACH HER GOAL OF ATTENDING"FOR THE FUTURE, I DO WANT TO GOTOCOLLEGE, AND THAT I KNOW OF,COLLEGE IS EXPENSIVE."THE APPLICATION FOR A BUSINESSLICENSE CAN BE FOUND ON THECITY'S WEBSITE.

THERE IS AN 86DOLLAR FEE.

FOR NOW HERE INSOUTHWEST BAKERSFIELD..KAL LYNHOBMANN..23ABC..

CONNECTING YOUKERN COUNTY'S DEPARTMENT OF