The Fremont couple’s car was stolen with newborn clothes and gifts inside

FREMONT, California. – An East Bay family that just welcomed their first child is devastated after someone stole their car, which contained all of their newborn’s belongings and gifts during the Thanksgiving holiday.

The young couple is now trying to come to terms with great joy and loss at the same time.

On Thanksgiving morning, 22-year-old Benjamin Willis discovered that his car, a 2014 Chrysler 300, was stolen, just days before the birth of his baby girl.

It happened on the evening of the day before Thanksgiving. A neighbor’s security camera showed it happened an hour or two after he parked his car on Viento Drive at Mission Boulevard in Fremont after 7:30 p.m. Willis said unfortunately the video was too blurry to identify the perpetrators.

“In the car I had a brand new stroller, a car seat and a diaper bag ready to go to the hospital,” Willis said. “The reason is she could have come out any day. Your appointment was actually a week ago.”

Willis said he also had cash gifts in the car from family members from recent baby showers, as well as unwrapped Christmas presents for the family.

“I was really heartbroken because I did so much hard work and my family, friends and all the things I got, I wish I had it in the room but it was just too small,” he said.

Willis said he and his fiancée, 21-year-old Arcelia Villa, were staying with her parents at their nearby apartment.

His car was his only means of transportation – essential for getting his fiancée to doctor’s appointments and to work. He takes on contract work in construction or landscaping whenever it is available, although the options are inconsistent.

“It’s a big loss. This car was for my family so we could take care of each other,” he said. “I really didn’t have much before, and this was one of the things I had, and work was slow for me.”

Willis believes there are no car thefts in the area.

He added that Fremont police told him there have been 40 such thefts in the city this month.

Willis’ mother, Evelyn, has created a GoFundMe page to replace the stolen items and help them get back on their feet.

Despite the loss, the family is grateful that Ariella is a healthy baby.

“Mixed emotions – sad, exhausted, overwhelmed, happy… for the baby,” Willis said.

Benjamin said his fiancée is expected to be released from the hospital Monday evening.