Anonymous Donor Replaces Leaf Blower Stolen From Gardeners in Pasadena Robbery

Police turned over a brand new leaf blower to father-and-son gardeners Thursday after an anonymous benefactor donated the item to replace one that was stolen from the men when they were robbed while working in Pasadena earlier this year.

Jose Dominguez and his 18-year-old son Irwin were working at a Pasadena property on May 12 when two men in a minivan stole their leaf blower and attacked the younger victim when he tried to stop them, according to police and the victims.

Upon reading about the loss suffered by the family business in this publication, a local resident decided she wanted to help anonymously, said Pasadena police Community Service Officer Sarah Presley, who helped orchestrate the gift.

The unnamed donor set to work finding the same model of ECHO-brand leaf blower that had been stolen in the robbery, Presley said. After some difficulty finding the model in stock at a local business, the donor bought it and turned it over to the Pasadena Police Department so it could be presented to Jose and Irwin Dominguez.

“We’re super thankful for what she did,” Irwin Dominguez said of the donor.

The young man, who has been helping his father with the family landscaping business, Dominguez Landscaping, for about four years and is studying civil engineering at Pasadena City College, said he wanted to warn other gardeners about the growing problem of equipment theft.

Irwin Dominguez said he believes he and his father were followed to their worksite, as they had only been working for several minutes when the crime occurred.

Upon going to his father’s truck to fetch a pair of scissors, Irwin Dominguez said he encountered two men who had cut the leaf blower free of its security chains on the truck and were loading it into a minivan.

“My initial instinct was to try to stop them,” he said. He grabbed onto the van door as it began pulling away and tried to reach for the leaf blower.

The suspects began hitting Irwin Dominguez and threatening to shoot him, he said. Ultimately, he fell from the minivan, suffering bruising to his hip and leg, but no major injuries. The robbers drove off with the leaf blower.

Irwin Dominguez said he saw lots of other gardening equipment inside the thieves’ minivan, leading him to believe they had also been stealing from others.

“It just makes me really mad,” he said.

He added that gardening equipment had been stolen at least twice before from his father’s truck in different cities in recent years.

Pasadena police Detective Elgin Lee said he was glad the department was able to play a role in helping the family.

At stake was more than just a piece of equipment, he said. “This is their livelihood. This is how they feed their family.”

Related:

Gardener Robbed of Leaf Blower in Pasadena