Everyone knows that there is no worse feeling than having your possessions stolen from you. It's a violating experience that leaves one feeling unsafe, and whether what was stolen is valuable or sentimental, it's the worst way to lose something. It's even worse if what's stolen from you is important to making a living.
For people who work with their own tools or equipment, it can hurt their livelihood if anything is stolen from them. If they aren't in a position to replace it, that could mean they can no longer work at all. It's a vicious cycle, all caused by someone who couldn't keep their hands to themselves.
It can truly take a village to help people who have had something stolen from them, and luckily in this story, a team of people did come together to help someone who had their most important possessions taken away from them. This is a story about a landscaper, and a team of police officers who went above the call of duty.
Adrian Salgado is a landscaper in Santa Ana, California. Landscapers are responsible for designing and tending to an assortment of outdoor materials, such as grass, rock, and wood. That means Adrian Salgado had a pick up truck and tools to get the job done. Unfortunately, last week Adrian Salgado was hijacked. The hijackers were two thieves who took his car as well as the equipment.
Along with his car, he lost his leaf blower, hand tools, mower, and even his cell phone. His losses didn't stop there either. He also lost $1,000 in cash that was meant for his rent money. He had stashed it away inside his truck. Police calculated all of Salgado's losses at over $3,000, and that's not including the $1,000 cash. Just like that, Salgado's livelihood was in complete ruin at the hand of two hijackers.
Adrian Salgado recovered from the hijacking and returned home. That's where he told his daughter, Elizabeth, what had happened. With her help, they reported the incident to the Santa Ana Police Department. She also did a little sleuthing of her own. She used an iPhone app to track down Salgado's truck. Believe it or not, the app worked. The two hijackers were found and arrested. The bad news? None of Salgado's possessions could be found.
Even though justice was served, it did not bring back Salgado's money or possessions. It was still looking bad for him. Luckily, the police department had his back. "Sgt. Michael Gonzalez told CNN, "We all came from working-class families." Gonzalez remarked that he and his other officers saw their father in Salgado, adding, "It was like, 'hey, that's my dad."
One of the rookies suggested that they all pitch in to help Salgado. They all pitched in and came up with $500 out of all their own pockets. Things got even better when they reached out to the regionale police association. The president of the association ended up matching $500. The giving didn't even stop there either. When the police officers went to Home Depot to shop for the equipment, the store gave them an additional $100, as well as military discounts.
The giving became infectious. Even a random shopper threw in $40 after hearing about the incident. Salgado and his daughter were extremely gracious. His daughter told the Santa Ana Police Department, "Now I can see my dad with a smile because he can go back to work.' It goes to show that a little bit of giving can go a long way.
