Recovering Rafa from a Devastating Robbery

UPDATE #2

The trailer has been released to us and we will retrieve it tomorrow. When we found it, we called to request an officer to meet us on the scene in case things turned unsafe- and also so that our police report for insurance would have all relevant information about it being found. We were prepared to tow it away right then and there- we had brought the hitch to Walmart when first we heard it was seen there. However, once they police arrived and understood what was going on, they told us that it would have to be towed and impounded since it was marked stolen in the system. They told us it would be taken to a secure lot and screened for evidence. There was no choice. Today I called to inquire about the status and we learned that it has been released in the system and that we can go claim it. We learned that it was not screened for evidence after all. Additionally, we are responsible for the $300 towing fee which increases $50 each additional day it sits at the lot it was towed to- which we had not been made aware of. Nothing is being done, it seems. I share this update because I’m pretty disappointed in the system- it’s not transparent or organized- and I have learned about what reasonable expectations are when working with law enforcement over cases of theft. Maybe this little story helps someone understand which questions to as and what not to assume. We have requested that the detectives look further into the theft and have been informed that they have very little to go off of as of now and will call us back if something changes.. so we are focusing on the positive and trying to accept that we may never know who took it and stole the contents. I’ll update if we discover anything. Thanks again everyone.

UPDATE #1

First of all, biggest thank you to all who donated and shared the post and sent words of encouragment. Rafa was feeling so humbled and loved by your outpouring of support. He cried. A lot :) Muchas muchas gracias.

The situation became more interesting when his stolen computer was turned on about 6 minutes from where we live. We had an address! Although we knocked on the door with a policeman, we were told by the inhabitants (unsurprisingly) that no, they had no idea what we were talking about. Neither did the neighbors. An exciting discovery quickly became an infuriating dead end. As far as we know, it is still in that house. The following day around midnight, my mother (who had shared our post about the stolen trailer in Facebook groups around Georgia) received a message from a woman who said she thought she saw the trailer in a Walmart parking lot in Jasper-and even gave us the area of the lot. We hopped in the car and went that very moment. The trailer wasn’t there, but a couple patio chairs were discarded there and Rafa recognized them as his! And the unique glass of his door on the ground! We were fired up and drove around the area for a while before resigning ourselves to head back home… while getting back on the highway, we noticed a remote area of industrial buildings across the way and both felt called to investigate. All the way in the back, at the end of a road, tucked into a grove of trees, was his trailer. The axles were destroyed from the way the robbers had driven off without lifting them, and it was of course broken into and a total disaster in the inside but there it was- with a note on the hitch (and a phone number!) saying to the reader that they would return for it. Luckily we beat them to it. They stole thousands of dollars worth of electronics and power tools… much more than we know better than to imagine will be covered by insurance and that we don’t anticipate ever seeing again, especially given that, in the case of the computer, having an address is not enough… but he has been reunited with some of his priceless sentimental possessions, including his beloved ukelele, and that has been so uplifting. What had been a bewilderingly offensive devastation, a clean slate, has now become more of a major financial setback. We have some hope. Slowly but surely he will rebuild his inventory and get back to creating and designing domes. The police have the trailer now and are searching it for evidence of the thief- we’ll see if that turns up anything. Footage from cameras in Walmart (and our residence- which do not work) was our first thought but it is strangely difficult to acquire that, even for the police. And no, we didn’t call the number in the note. Part of me wanted to but I’ve decided I’m more interested in moving forward and staying safe. Thank you all SO much for your help. We are inexplicably grateful. We look forward to having the opportunity to come through for each of you in some way in the future. We love you.

With this update we have decided to no longer accept donations through this page and have disabled the feature. I have of course been asking myself if finding the trailer changes things as far as accepting donations. The sincere reality is that the trailer is worth far less than what was stolen inside it and so these donations really were/are so needed. It will take lots of time and saving to replace the tools alone let alone the electronics- most of which were related his design work. Any support is crucially helpful in getting Rafa back to work and providing for himself. However, if you feel that you would like yours, or a portion of it, returned in light of the trailer having been found, I will return it you no questions asked and with love in my heart that you stepped up for us. Many of you have asked if you can still donate- humbly and gratefully, yes. If you still would like to donate to Rafa, his Venmo is @Rafael-Bravo-20 and the last four digits of his phone number are 4750. Thank you.

Stay safe everyone! Keep your loved ones close! They matter more than anything. Happy Holidays.

Original Post:

Friends and family, I am writing this on behalf of my husband, Rafael, a friend and brother to many of you, who experienced an overwhelming economical loss this Thanksgiving week. A couple days ago, Rafa’s camper trailer was stolen from the parking lot from our apartment complex where it had been temporarily stationed for less than three days. Some malicious person(s) drive off with it in the middle of the night. He had just spent the summer remodeling it and very unfortunately it happened to be containing literally everything that Rafa owns with the exception of a suitcase and a backpack. All of his power tools that he had bought over the years as a builder, all of his electronics from speakers to cameras to a computer, his instruments (including his lovely ukelele), his appliances and quality cooking and bread making equipment he has invested in to further his culinary talents, his journals full of his ideas and designs, any little gift or momento he’d ever been given by anyone, all of his clothes, literally everything. Beyond being a staggering financial setback, it is a very personal offense and he feels it deeply. Although we do have the police and insurance involved, we have become aware that there is little to zero chance of recovering the trailer with all its contents inside because honestly, it will not be possible for him to procure “proof and receipts” for everything in there- does anyone keep receipts for things they have owned for years and paid for in cash? As organized as we are, we are not THAT organized in terms of personal inventory.. so there is little hope to receive more than a fractional recovery through insurance. For that reason I am asking for help for Rafa. Rafa is a good man, a great friend, a talented builder and a special human. He’s the first to jump to anyone’s aid and the last to deserve this. We know the holidays are upon us and that it’s a tight time for everyone, but seeing as it has become especially tight for Rafa, I humbly ask that you consider making a donation to help him bounce back. His birthday is next month- in lieu of gifts, please just offer what you can and know that we are extremely grateful. Nothing is too little. If you are not in a situation to offer a financial gift, please send him a message of encouragement. Rafa has big dreams and big plans and will continue to pursue them, and with a bit of community support will hopefully be back on track in no time. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We love you all. Happy Thanksgiving.