Help Joe Heal and Recover from Car Theft Incident & Assault

Dear family, friends and community,

I’m starting this GoFundMe due to a traumatic experience that my dear partner, Joe, recently endured. On the evening of Monday, May 26th at 7:30 PM, over the long Memorial Day weekend at 'Ololkoy Beach Park in Oxnard, CA, Joe was with his friends when he noticed a suspicious couple lingering around his car in the parking lot. We suspect they may have found his keys on the beach or pick-pocketed him.

As he was concerned for his car, Joe approached the couple to confront them. They then spotted him approaching and unlocked and jumped into the car in attempt to commit theft. As Joe moved towards them, they started the vehicle and accelerated the vehicle directly at him, hitting him and carrying him on the hood for about 20 feet before he fell off, sustaining road burn, bruises, cuts, and a fractured and sprained left hand. The assailants left him on the road and peeled out of the parking lot in his car.

Thanks to the immediacy of his friends who saw the incident, Joe was able to file a police report and make it to the ER. Unfortunately, the thieves remain at large, and Joe's car, valued at approximately $4,000, is still missing. Inside the car were valuable items, including a $700 guitar belonging to our friend Juliana and $300 worth of Joe’s Garmin dash-cams. The funds raised through this campaign will help cover the financial losses from the stolen vehicle and its contents, the cost of lost work due to his injuries, and to assist with travel and food costs during this challenging time. Sadly, Joe's temporary auto insurance will not cover the car theft.

This incident comes at a particularly difficult time for Joe, as he has to miss significant work opportunities due to his injuries and inability to travel. As a professional violinist and violist, his hand injury has rendered him unable to play for several weeks, forcing him to turn down multiple professional gigs. He may also have to cancel his participation in the Redlands Symphony, reschedule a solo recital, and find replacements for four chamber music performances planned for the 2025 Off The Dock Chamber Festival this June, as well as cancel private teaching. These work commitments are crucial for his livelihood, and the loss of income has added immense stress on top of losing his car.

If you are able, we would be incredibly grateful for any donation, no matter how small, to help cover travel costs and contribute towards a new car once he is able to replace the stolen one. Your support will also help offset the loss of equipment, Juliana's cherished guitar that meant a lot to her, and assist in recovering from the significant financial impact of Joe's hand injury and lost work as a musician. This has been a traumatic experience for Joe and our friends who witnessed the incident, and they are all, still, understandably shaken.

Thank you for considering a donation to support Joe during this difficult time. Your kindness and generosity mean the world to us, and we are thankful to be surrounded by such a loving and caring community. We will continue to provide updates on Joe’s car if we hear back from the police.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Natalie