MEMPHIS, Tenn. — An East Memphis father is trying to figure out how he’s going to fund a milestone birthday for his daughter after crooks took $2,000 he was planning on throwing her party with.
“I really didn’t care about the money. I told them if he can’t, we cancel the 15. He doesn’t have to worry about it,” said Heidi Sanchez.
Fourteen-year-old Heidi Sanchez was looking forward to her quinceanera, the celebration of turning 15 in the Latino community, but after crooks took the money her dad saved up for her special day, as of now the family doesn’t know how they’re going to pull off making Heidi’s day one to remember.
“I was looking forward to this day, but at the same time I was really worried about him because he’s my father,” added Sanchez.
Young but clearly aware of what’s most important, this teenager stood by her father’s side and translated Tuesday’s horrific events.
“They went to his door and it was locked they went to the other side and opened that door.”
Sanchez says the men asked for a ride, and when he said no, they got in his truck with him.
Sanchez thinks the men saw him coming out of the bank and then followed him to the Save-A-Lot grocery store parking lot where he parked his truck to count his money.
“He had lot of hundreds and they took it then they asked if he had more money.”
According to police, the men made Sanchez empty his pockets. All the while, this father says his only thoughts were of his daughter who was looking forward to a birthday to remember.
Meanwhile, this father wasn’t the only person who was targeted yesterday. The father fears that more people were targeted.
“The people had more money than what he gave them, they had stacks of hundreds with them, they had them in their jackets and in their hands,” said Sanchez.
Now, Sanchez is working longer-than-usual hours with his landscape business in hopes that he’ll earn enough to still be able to give his daughter the birthday she deserves on Saturday.
“I told him we can cancel if you want, he said no we are going to see how we are going to do this,” added Sanchez.
If you know anything about the crime, call Crime Stoppers 528-CASH
