Fruit Stand Worker Cited For Violating Health Order: SoCo Sheriff

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — When photos of Sonoma County sheriff's deputies making contact with a worker at a roadside Sonoma County fruit stand sparked debate on social media, Patch reached out to the sheriff's office for details about the incident.

Sheriff's Office Spokeswoman Misti Wood told Patch the worker, 25-year-old Juan Sales-Domingo, of Oakland, was issued a misdemeanor citation Saturday on suspicion of violating the Sonoma County public health order for essential businesses operating during the coronavirus public health crisis.

Wood said Sales-Domingo was wearing a mask and one glove as he worked at a fruit stand near the intersection of Adobe and Frates roads east of Petaluma, but there was no hand sanitizer or soap and water, and none of the signage required under the county's public health order.

Farm and produce stands are among essential businesses allowed to continue operating in Sonoma County, provided they adhere to social distancing and other protocol.

Sonoma County's extended public health order dated March 31 states that businesses shall post signage regarding their social distancing protocol and should also: provide hand sanitizer, soap and water, or effective disinfectant; provide for contactless payment systems or, if not feasible to do so, provide for disinfecting all payment portals, pens and styluses after each use; regularly disinfect other high-touch surfaces; and post a sign informing all employees and customers that they should avoid the facility if they have a cough or fever, maintain a minimum six-foot distance from one another, sneeze and cough into one’s elbow, and not shake hands or engage in any unnecessary physical contact.

According to Wood, deputies had two previous contacts with workers at the fruit stand: one on March 17, and one on April 17 — the day before Sales-Domingo was cited.

In both instances, workers at the stand were given a warning that in order for the business to continue operating, it needed to abide by the health order, Wood said.

"There is an entire set of protocol identified in the health order," Wood said. "We take an educational approach to help them understand why it is important."

Wood said at no point was Sales-Domingo asked about his U.S. citizenship status.

"The sheriff’s office cannot enforcement immigration law, and a person’s immigration status is not relevant to us," Wood said.

After Sales-Domingo was cited, a friend gave him a ride home to Oakland, Wood said.

The citation issued to Sales-Domingo is one of 22 the sheriff's office has handed out since the county's shelter-at-home and related essential business public health orders took effect.

Seven citations have been issued in connection to vacation rentals, which are not permitted to operate under the county's health order unless it is for housing related to the public health crisis.

Six citations have been issued to businesses, Wood said, while two citations have been issued for gatherings in closed areas.

Another seven citations have been issued in connection with someone committing a crime while also in violation of the shelter-at-home order, according to the sheriff's office.