BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A Bakersfield woman's terrifying robbery experience turned into a story of community kindness when two strangers stepped in to help her get home safely.
Renee Candelaria was preparing to leave an Albertsons store on Mt. Vernon Wednesday when robbers struck in the parking lot.
"They threw the sliding door on my van open, and I saw him, and he grabbed my purse turned around and jumped into a car, and they were parked right here, and they took off," Candelaria said.
With her keys and phone stolen along with her purse, Candelaria found herself stranded. She was afraid to leave her vehicle unattended, fearing the robbers might return to steal her car.
That's when she approached two women for help.
"I said, I just got robbed. I don't have a phone, I don't have keys to my car. I said, I thought about walking home, but I'm afraid they'll come and steal my car. So would you be willing to go to my house and let my husband know? And they pulled out their phone, what's your address, and they took off, and they went to my house," Candelaria said.
When contacted through Facebook, one of the Good Samaritans declined an interview but shared her perspective on helping.
"We just happened to be at the right place at the time to help someone and don't really need the recognition for it. It was truly from the kindness of our hearts. We just hope the story enlightens others to be helpful and look out for each other," she said.
Candelaria remains grateful for their assistance during her frightening ordeal.
"What they did, I can't, can't say enough how much I appreciated it, because nobody else would pay attention to me," Candelaria said.
The incident highlights the importance of situational awareness, according to self-defense expert Matt Baker, owner of Trujitsu in southwest Bakersfield.
"So whenever you're in a situation where you're being attacked or something goes wrong, the main reason why it happens is usually people aren't paying attention. They're not aware. A lot of times we're distracted by our phone, or there's other things going on throughout the day that we're thinking about, and those are the times that people sneak up on you, that have bad intentions," Baker said.
Candelaria said she plans to be more aware of her surroundings going forward.
Both Albertsons and its corporate communications team declined to comment on the incident.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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