For Pedro Daniel Reyes, Sundays are when he takes a break from his job as a roofer and sells peanuts and fruits on the streets of Los Angeles. Instead, as he prepared for a day of street vending, a group violently mugged him, leaving him unconscious on the street. With swollen cheeks, a black eye, broken jaw, and more, Reyes has a long recovery ahead of him. Now, his stepson is using GoFundMe to ask people to help the 54-year-old Oaxaca native during this difficult time.
When two cars pulled up on the corner of San Pedro and 31st Street at 5 a.m. Sunday to demand money from Reyes and other vendors, Pedro handed over his money. But the men still brutally attacked him and knocked out several of his teeth. Reyes works as a roofer six days a week, and is also a street vendor to help make ends meet. “That’s his life,” the stepson, who chose to remain anonymous, told CBS Los Angeles. “He doesn’t have one day of rest.”
Reyes does not have medical insurance, and for six months, he may have to be fed through a straw. Initially, the family asked for help raising $5,000. But after quickly meeting that goal the family upped the amount to $25,000. The family has raised more than $50,000 so far.
“Thank you everyone who donated!” the GoFundMe page reads. “My family is extremely grateful for the support. He will be going into surgery tomorrow.”
If you want to donate, head over to the GoFundMe page.