38 Minutes Changed My Life — Help Me Rebuild After Losing 15 Years of Hard Work

My name is Queenie.

In 2011, I came to the United States alone with a dream of building a better life through hard work.

Like many immigrants, I started with very little. Over the past fifteen years, I built my life step by step. I began my career as a bridal makeup artist and later transitioned into medical aesthetics, where I now work as an aesthetic consultant helping people feel more confident. Just recently, I earned my IV Therapy and Phlebotomy Certification and had begun preparing to continue my education toward becoming a Registered Nurse.

Everything I owned represented years of sacrifice, long hours, and determination.

I never imagined that nearly everything I had worked so hard to build could disappear in just thirty-eight minutes.

On the evening of July 11, while I was away from home, three individuals broke into my residence.

According to surveillance footage collected from multiple neighboring homes, two suspects entered my house while a third remained outside with the vehicle. They stayed inside for approximately 38 minutes, searching through nearly every room before leaving with cash, jewelry, important identification documents, sentimental belongings, and other valuables accumulated over fifteen years.

My preliminary estimate of the loss exceeds $300,000, and I am still documenting everything that was taken.

The financial loss has been overwhelming, but what has been even harder is losing the feeling of safety in the place I called home.

My eight-year-old French Bulldog, TaiTai, was inside the house during the burglary.

He was trapped inside the bathroom while strangers searched through our home. Thankfully, he was not physically harmed, but since that night I have noticed changes in his behavior. Seeing him frightened breaks my heart because he has been my loyal companion for eight years and truly feels like family.

After the burglary, I made a promise to myself that I would do everything possible to help solve this case instead of simply waiting.

Although English is not my first language, I spent the following week knocking on neighbors’ doors asking if they had surveillance cameras. I introduced myself to people I had never met, explained what had happened, and asked if they would be willing to help.

Many of them did.

Together we reviewed hours of surveillance footage, collected more than twenty videos and screenshots, and submitted everything we could to law enforcement.

Some neighbors spent hours helping me search for suspicious vehicles. Others simply offered words of encouragement when I felt exhausted.

In the middle of one of the darkest weeks of my life, complete strangers reminded me that kindness still exists.

One person I will never forget is my neighbor, Dolores, a retired law-enforcement professional.

Even though she had recently undergone foot surgery, she spent her own time helping me. She contacted the police, personally delivered additional evidence to the police station, explained parts of the investigative process that I didn’t understand, and encouraged me not to lose hope.

She was also the person who encouraged me to create this GoFundMe page.

At first, I resisted the idea.

I have always believed that I should solve my own problems through hard work. Asking for help felt uncomfortable.

Dolores gently reminded me that accepting kindness during an unexpected tragedy is not weakness—it is allowing others to stand beside you when life becomes overwhelming.

I will always be grateful for her compassion.

Since the burglary, I have continued doing everything within my ability to move the investigation forward.

I filed a police report immediately, preserved additional evidence, communicated with my homeowners association regarding surveillance footage, sought legal guidance, and contacted local news organizations to increase public awareness.

Baldwin Park News has verified my case with the local police department and informed me that my story is scheduled to be published tomorrow. My hope is that greater community awareness may help generate additional information while the investigation continues.

Creating this fundraiser has been one of the hardest decisions I have ever made.

This is not about replacing everything that was stolen.

No amount of money can replace fifteen years of memories, hard work, or the sense of security I lost.

My fundraising goal is $100,000, not the full value of my losses. These funds will help me take the first steps toward rebuilding my life by improving home security, replacing stolen identification documents, covering legal consultation, paying essential living expenses while I recover financially, continuing my nursing education, and caring for TaiTai if he needs veterinary support related to the trauma of this experience.

Because this remains an active criminal investigation, I have chosen not to publicly share every piece of evidence or every detail of my personal information.

A police report has been filed, surveillance footage and other evidence have been submitted to law enforcement, and I will continue cooperating fully with the investigation. As new developments become available, I will share updates here whenever it is appropriate to do so.

Before July 11, I believed that hard work could solve almost every problem.

Today, I still believe in hard work.

But I have also learned something equally important: sometimes rebuilding after tragedy requires the kindness of others.

I refuse to let this burglary define the rest of my life.

I still want to become a Registered Nurse.

I still want to continue helping people.

I still believe my future is worth fighting for.

One day, I hope to look back on this chapter not only as one of the most difficult moments of my life, but also as the moment I discovered how compassionate people can be.

Whether you choose to donate, share this page, or simply keep my family in your thoughts, thank you.

Every act of kindness helps me move one step closer to rebuilding my life.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for believing in me.

With gratitude,

Queenie & TaiTai