The community held a barbershop fundraiser on Sunday to help lift their spirits and get the family back on their feet.
It was reportedly illegal fireworks that destroyed the family's home on the Fourth of July. Incredibly, this is the second time in less than two years that they've lost a home in a fire.
Close friends organized a big party and fundraiser at RCee's Barbershop in Paramount on Sunday that brought a lot of people who enjoyed live music, food, and fun for the kids -- all to help a beloved barber who works at the shop, Uriel Ojeda, his longtime girlfriend, and their 5-year-old daughter.
On the Fourth of July, security video captured fireworks igniting a blaze in an empty lot in Carson. The flames spread to the family's neighboring house, causing extensive damage. The family lost most of their belongings.
Ojeda was running errands that day when he received a text from his girlfriend.
"The house is on fire!" he said the text read. "And I'm like, 'What? I looked at my cameras... and it's just smoke traveling in front of the house."
Ojeda rushed home, and fortunately, his girlfriend and their daughter were safe, but most of their belongings were either damaged or destroyed.
The previous fire happened in December 2023 when a fire broke out at the family's apartment while the gas company was installing a new meter and had to check the stove.
"I guess they might have left the stove on, and then they walked out, and a few minutes later it started," he said. "We lost a lot of valuable stuff."
Ojeda and his family expressed their gratitude to everyone reaching out to help them.
"We're really thankful and grateful for everyone coming, all the community, our friends and family, for getting together and doing this for us to get back on our feet. We are so blessed," Ojeda said.
"It's mentally draining having to go through hardship like that again. It's very humbling, but we are very grateful. We have such a good support system," his girlfriend, Leomela Garcia, said.
Despite the hardship, the couple has something to celebrate! Ojeda surprised Garcia with a marriage proposal in front of their friends, family members, and a lot of happy community members during the event.