Copyright WDIV ClickOnDetroit
DETROIT – The owner of a Detroit food stand that gained popularity and online fame has learned her sentence after a viral exchange with a police officer. Nayeli Ruiz was taken into custody on Sept. 14, 2025, after a police officer showed up to shut down Doppy’s Fire Hot Dogs in Southwest Detroit. Ruiz owns the food stand with her boyfriend, Jason Hernandez. It has gained popularity on TikTok for its Mexican-style hot dogs. On Sept. 14, body camera footage showed a crowd waiting in line at the stand at Springwells Street, near Whittaker Street. Police said the food was being sold without a license. “No no no, it’s closed for business. There’s no waiting,” an officer can be heard telling the group in the body cam video. Illegal street vending is a ticket-level offense, but the situation quickly escalated. Ruiz and the officer got into a disagreement, and he ended up taking her into custody. Hernandez said there “could’ve been a different way of controlling it.” “He was trying to discuss it with (Ruiz),” Assistant Detroit police Chief Chuck Fitzgerald said. “She didn’t want to hear it. He told her he’s going to detain her. She resisted again. She ultimately (was) detained and placed in the back of a scout car.” Originally, Ruiz was charged with resisting and obstructing a police officer, which is a felony with a maximum penalty of two years in prison. She ultimately pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly person -- jostling. She was sentenced Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, to pay $128 in fines. As for the hot dog stand, a post on Sept. 17, 2025, showed that its permits were approved, and the stand posted that they were back open on Oct. 10, 2025.
