She said she has accumulated about 100 citations over the past five years and has paid out hundreds of dollars that she hopes will be refunded as part of pending litigation.
Last year, Mrs. Soto's husband began weekly dialysis, and Mrs. Soto took a break in March to recover from a hysterectomy. She and her husband were unable to work, but a group of merchants pooled their income and gave the couple $3,000 to help them make ends meet.
Mrs. Soto said she had returned to work but business was slow.
“Everything has changed since the pandemic,” she said. “It’s not as easy as it used to be. It’s the economy. It’s very slow now. People are complaining about money, about the taxes they have to pay. They don’t spend as much as they used to.”
She hasn't made $900 a week since last summer, Soto said. And in one week last month, she made just $360 over five days. She said she struggles to afford the $2,000-a-month rent for a one-bedroom apartment.
Her 19-year-old son works at a nearby shoe store to help pay the bills, and she said she will soon find another job that will allow her to work in the mornings before preparing to sell hot dogs.
“Things are very, very bad,” she said.
As a thick layer of ocean descends over the city, Mrs. Soto turns on the lights on the cart and zips up her hoodie. A four-wheeled food delivery robot whizzed by, one of many robots traversing this part of Los Angeles.
It was a relatively quiet night in central Hollywood, and after seven hours Mrs. Soto finished her shift.
Today's total was $85. She hoped the next day would be better.