An unspeakable incident rallied the community in Riverside, after a special needs man was bullied, pushed around and effectively mugged for his beloved LA Dodgers' hat at a Target.
"I was scared and nervous and frightened," Michael Cadena, 27, said about the incident, which occurred on Apr. 12.
After being robbed of his head wear, Cadena went to store security to report the incident immediately and filed a report with police once they arrived on scene. After taking a look at Target's security cameras, the police offered a photo of one of the suspects donning the Dodgers' hat in question. Police are investigating the incident as a robbery.
"I'm proud of him," Sylvia Cadena, Michael's mother, said her son refused to give up his hat repeatedly before it was taken. "Proud for speaking up and saying what was in his heart and mind."
This story, however, has a happy ending, as the mother of the man explained on social media. Sylvia said her son received "new hats of all sorts" after news of the incident spread across the Riverside community.
In addition, a good Samaritan donated a couple tickets for Michael to enjoy the Dodgers' game live. On Tuesday night, Michael saw the "Boys in Blue" take on the Miami Marlins, as Walker Buehler made his first big league start and got Michael a 2-1 win for his day at "Blue Heaven."
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What started out as an unconscionable bully attack on a special needs man concluded with Riverside stepping up to support a vulnerable member of the community.
