After every penny was taken from him as he was saving for an apartment for himself and his daughter, a South Los Angeles-based street vendor now has a place to call home weeks after he was robbed in front of his child.
Jose Carbajal and his daughter had been living in a hotel saving up for an apartment. After his savings were taken from him, the single father says a miracle happened.
“I feel happy, very happy,” said Carbajal.
It’s been over a month that Carbajal says he has so much to be thankful for.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
“This is my living room where my daughter plays with her dolls.” Added Carbajal in Spanish.
On Tuesday, the single father gave NBC4 a tour of his one-bedroom, one-bath apartment in South Los Angeles. He shares it with his 8-year-old daughter, who has autism. It's a small space they’ve called home for the past week, and it's all theirs.
Carbajal says he and his daughter were living in a hotel in Gardena and spent months saving money for a deposit on a home. He had about $2,000 that he pulled from his bank account last month in order to make that deposit. However, a group of thieves took the funds from him.
On Sept. 1, a group of men attacked Carbajal while he was selling shirts near Broadway and Manchester in South LA. A witness captured the crime on their cellphone moments after the group knocked Carbajal to the ground. His daughter, who was standing right next to him, was unharmed.
“When the attack happened, my daughter was traumatized. She’s been getting counseling at her school, which has helped overcome what she witnessed,” said Carbajal.
Following coverage from NBC4, support from the community began to pour in. Thanks to the public's generosity, Carbajal’s online donation campaign grew to more than $50,000. which he says changed his life forever.
Carbajal says a portion of the money not only helped secure a place to live, but allowed him to pay three months of rent. He also used some of the money to make repairs on his truck, which he uses to sell clothing.
“Only God knows why this happened. He turned this bad situation into a blessing which we still can’t stop smiling about,” added Carbajal.
