June 2, 2021
OAKLAND, California—An 89-year-old Asian woman was robbed of priceless mementos while she was moving out of her Oakland apartment building on Memorial Day, reports ABC7.
Jane Zhu—who is Chinese and Indian—was moving out of her apartment and was waiting for her son and grandson to pick up her things. However, before her family could arrive at the curb, a random woman drove up and silently loaded at least three of her moving boxes into her car.
“I don’t think the things have any value to her,” Zhu stated to ABC7. “I hope she can turn them back to me.”
Zhu was a professor when she immigrated to the United States in the 1950s. She spent 14 years working on a Chinese-English dictionary to teach students English. The dictionary holds significant value to Zhu personally and was one of many items stolen.
“𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘺. 𝘔𝘺 𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦,” Zhu stated to ABC7.
Reporter Dion Lim posted a picture of 89-year-old Jane Zhu sitting on the only remaining box she had left.
Zhu’s +75-year-old neighbor rushed out to help her, however, she was followed into the apartment building by the thief and knocked to the ground and sustained an injury, reports ABC7.
The 89-year-old victim tried pleading with the thief to not take the items.
“I said ‘don’t take that! That has no value, that’s only my family history, documents photos and books,'” said Zhu. “It’s precious to me, but not precious to you. Don’t take it.”
Mrs. Zhu was not injured during the altercation but says she can’t sleep at night. She is hoping the thief will return her dictionary and photos.
Feature Images via Dion Lim