Following the theft of half a truckload of presents intended for underprivileged children, Long Beach citizens and many others in Los Angeles County have come together to help the “Hood Santa” recover his losses.
“They steal children’s toys. Tito Rodriguez, popularly known as the Hood Santa in Long Beach, said, “Shame on them.” It’s devastating because all we’re attempting to do is bless a few children and help them. It is devastating to learn that there are people out there who wish to take from youngsters.
Rodriguez had half of the toys he collected for the kids’ toy giving stolen, so he has a lot of work to do before Saturday’s annual Christmas event at MacArthur Park. It took place last Sunday in downtown Los Angeles, outside the Belasco Theatre. His U-Haul was wrapped like a large gift when the burglars broke in and attempted to take it. Toy donations were collected over the course of two days at the music event by Rodriguez’s nonprofit, the Local Hearts Foundation. To keep someone from stealing, a worker had been watching the van all night.
But when he took a little break, the robbers took advantage of the situation to steal hundreds of gifts.
“H went and got some coffee and something to eat for 20-30 minutes,” added Rodriguez. “He went inside and saw that they were attempting to steal the van after returning and discovering that the locks had been broken. When it didn’t work, they entered, broke the padlock, and stole several toys.
According to Rodriguez, there is unreleased video showing the robbers packing the toys onto their own truck.
People have brought items for the children after learning about his plight. Although he is thankful for it, the Hood Santa is aware that there is currently not enough to go around and that hundreds of people will be coming this weekend in the hopes of receiving Christmas surprises.
“People spend the night before to get toys,” he stated. “We are aware of the necessity. Families require a little Christmas cheer.
Rodriguez has to quadruple the number of toys in his van before the weekend.
He is pleading with everyone to support his Local Hearts Foundation.
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