On August 23, 2023, Jorge Martinez and Gerardo Sánchez, two dedicated contractors from Bakersfield, demonstrated that heroes can emerge from unexpected places. Amid their regular workday routine, they found themselves in the midst of an extraordinary situation when they witnessed a thief attempting to steal a bicycle from the homeowner they were assisting. Without hesitation, they abandoned their tools, jumped into their vehicles, and sprang into action, ultimately recovering the stolen bike and returning it to their client, Stephanie Hammond Perez.

That fateful morning, Stephanie Hammond Perez, a homeowner and kindergarten teacher, had just returned from dropping off her four children at school, parking her bicycle on the porch as her contractors commenced their day's work. As Gerardo and Jorge were unloading materials in the front yard, a stranger greeted them while walking along the sidewalk. However, this seemingly friendly encounter took an unexpected turn when the stranger suddenly veered onto the grass, mounted Stephanie's bicycle, and made a hasty getaway, weaving through the landscaping and disappearing around a corner.

Just as Stephanie rushed out of her front door, barefoot and shouting for the thief to stop, her contractors noticed the commotion and instinctively abandoned their tasks to pursue the thief. They jumped into their work van to chase him.

Their determination paid off when they cornered the thief, who was attempting to hide between two trash cans on a neighboring property. Realizing that his escape route had been cut off, the thief leaped over a fence into a yard guarded by a German Shepherd, leaving the stolen bicycle on the other side. Gerardo recalled the moment when the thief realized they had caught up to him, saying, "his eyes got real big."

While on their way back to Stephanie's home with the recovered bike, the contractors called Stephanie to share the good news. Stephanie, overjoyed by their heroic efforts, thanked them profusely, saying, "I owe you guys so much!"

The entire incident was captured by security camera footage, and Stephanie's friend, Director and Editor Sara Hoopes (@shoopes), shared it on TikTok, where it quickly went viral, amassing over 37 million views. In the wake of their newfound fame, the three families gathered at Stephanie's home to celebrate the now-dubbed "Contractor Heroes," sharing pizza and a case of Modelo beer with the valiant duo.

Jorge and Gerardo's fearless determination not only led to the recovery of the stolen bicycle but also captured the hearts of millions worldwide. Their selflessness and quick thinking garnered the attention of local news outlets, who featured their heroic actions on television.

Motivated by their newfound popularity as the "TikTok Tíos," a GoFundMe campaign was initiated, raising over $6,000 for the contractors. In just a few days, their TikTok pages amassed over 10,000 followers, while their Facebook business pages filled with five-star reviews, solidifying their reputation as dependable and dedicated contractors. Their actions serve as a shining example of courage and selflessness, reminding us that heroes can emerge from the most unexpected places.

On August 23, 2023, Jorge Martinez and Gerardo Sánchez proved that heroes come in unexpected forms. These dedicated Bakersfield contractors were in the middle of their workday when they witnessed a thief attempting to steal a bike from the homeowner they were assisting. Without a second thought, they sprang into action, leaving their tools behind, and pursued the thief in their cars. They got the bike back and returned it to their client, Stephanie Hammond Perez.

That morning, homeowner and kindergarten teacher, Stephanie Hammond Perez, had just returned home on her bike from riding her four children to school and parked her bike on the porch as her contractors were starting their work for the day. As Gerardo & Jorge were unloading lumbar in the front yard, a stranger walking along the sidewalk greeted the contractors and then turned onto the grass and walked up to the porch. He then quickly hopped on the bike and sped off through the landscaping and around the corner of the home. Just as Stephanie was on her way out the front door to speak with Gerardo and Jorge, she saw the thief taking her bike and began to run after him barefoot and screaming for him to come back. It’s in that moment, the contractors notice the commotion and drop everything to pursue the thief in their large work van and Dodge Charger.

When they caught up to him, he was hiding between two trash cans at a near by property. The thief then jumped over the fence into a yard with a German Sheppard leaving the bike on the other side. According to Gerardo, when the thief saw they had caught up to him, “his eyes got real big.” The contractors called Stephanie with their good news on the way back to the home with the bike and Stephanie was very happy to hear the good news. Upon reconvening at the home, they revealed the bike with a “ta dah,” as Stephanie apologized for their trouble and said, “I owe you guys so much!” 

The security camera footage of the incident was shared by Stephanie’s friend, Director and Editor, Sara Hoopes @shoopes, on TikTok and quickly went viral receiving over 37 million views. Since then, the three families gathered at the home for a celebration honoring the now “Contractor Heroes” where they had pizza and a case of Modelo for the guys.  

Their fearless determination led to the retrieval of the stolen item and its safe return to the homeowner. This extraordinary act of bravery caught the attention of millions, inspiring us all with their selflessness and quick thinking. Local news outlets picked up the “feel good” story and featured their actions on television.

Prompted by the “TikTok Tíos” now large fan-base, as a show appreciation for their remarkable actions a GoFundMe was created raising over $6,000 for the contractors. Their TikTok pages soared past 10,000 followers in only a few days and their Facebook business pages, collected 5 star reviews reflecting the epitome of dedicated and reliable contractors. 


Links for reference:

Sara Hoopes

Part 1
https://www.tiktok.com/@shoopes/video/7272970459790970155
Part 2
https://www.tiktok.com/@shoopes/video/7273354394513509674
Part 3
https://www.tiktok.com/@shoopes/video/7275192073165229358

Stephanie Hammond Perez
https://www.tiktok.com/@steph.p47?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc


Gerardo Sánchez
https://www.tiktok.com/@gs.painting81?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

https://www.facebook.com/people/GS-Painting-Services/100043136717094/?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Jorge Martinez:
https://www.tiktok.com/@jorgemartinez4946?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

https://www.facebook.com/people/Acres-Painting/61550629030236/?mibextid=LQQJ4d


https://gofund.me/f83e4952