PORTLAND, Ore. — Thieves ransacked a single mother's home and stole her car after stealing her backpack out of a friend's vehicle. The thefts and burglaries happened on the same day.
The victim, Loyda Mar, is an essential worker working at the Marquis Piedmont Assisted Living facility in Northeast Portland.
"She's one of those coworkers who comes in and she's a bright light," said Brittany Spray, an administrator at the assisted living facility. "Everyone loves working with her and the residents absolutely adore her."
Mar said she was eating with a friend at a Southeast Portland Denny's restaurant on Oct. 12 when somebody broke into her friend's car in the parking lot and stole Mar's backpack. Mar remembered that she had some mail with her address on it inside the backpack, so she raced to her house. By the time she arrived, it had been ransacked.
"They took stuff like rings," she said. "They tried taking my TV but couldn't dismantle it. They took my bag, clothes, a tablet, shoes, anything really."
The thieves also stole Mar's car. It was found days later, but it had been stripped down to almost nothing.
"I was sad," Mar told KGW through a translator. "I was angry. I was frustrated. I was all of it."
"I'm sad and really surprised there are people so mean and heartless they can do that to somebody," said Mar. "Especially if they don't know their situation, how hard they work for their things."
Mar's coworkers at the assisted living facility know her situation and how hard she works. Their hearts break for her.
"People need to be vigilant, watch out, keep your belongings close," Spray said. "I do think these people had a targeted plan and that's really disheartening to see."
Spray started a GoFundMe campaign to help Mar get back on her feet.