An ice cream vendor was reportedly robbed and almost run over this week in Oakland, California.
“The victim says he was simply doing his job when three men robbed him and destroyed his business,” KRON reported Saturday.
The alleged victim, Hector Hernandez Patino, claimed he only suffered minor injuries but no longer has a way to make money to support his family.
A neighbor captured video footage of the ice cream cart that appeared to have the wheels broken off.
“The first shock was just like seeing him, ‘like oh that’s our neighborhood ice cream man, ‘paletero!’ you know?” said the neighbor, identified as Yogi, who shared the video and photos of the scene.
The term “paletero” means “popsicle vendor” in Spanish.
Patino claimed he was pushing his cart on Harper Street and Crosby Avenue Friday when three men got out of a car, demanded ice cream, then allegedly smashed the vehicle into his cart.
A Mexican immigrant, Patino has worked as a paletero for over a decade. He reportedly injured his back during the alleged incident.
Once he shared the video online, Yogi’s followers began offering Patino their support.
As of Sunday morning, a GoFundMe page that appeared to be set up for the ice cream man had raised $17,576 of its $1,600 goal.
The page said it was created to help him replace his cart and “help pay his day off for the time being of his cart being down .. ANYTHING HELPS he is not [asking] for much just for the help he needs god bless and lets make it happend [sic].”
Yogi told KRON neighbors need to watch out for each other.
“We gotta take care of them as much as we would take care of our own family. Ice cream man, corn man, whatever it is — we got to take care of them. It’s our job,” he noted.
According to the outlet, a report was filed with the Oakland Police Department.
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