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TikTok star's fans raise $144,000 for 'guardian angel' Uber driver who stood by her after robbery

Raul Torres is a guardian angel.

via Becca Moore/TikTok

Becca Moore and Raul Torres having margaritas.

Becca Moore is a popular TikToker with over 800,000 followers who's known for her funny, laid-back takes on dating. Like any influencer-type she was at the Coachella music and arts festival in Indio, California recently. While she was at Coachella, she was robbed of her phone, rental car keys and wallet.

“I went to Coachella this weekend and I thought this guy was kinda hitting on me but then he just robbed me,” Becca says at the beginning of her three-minute TikTok video with over 3 million views. After the festival, she was left with no ride, money, or means to get in contact with friends and family. She was stranded in the desert.

Becca’s friend’s hotel called her an Uber so she could get to a local store to buy a new phone.

The driver she was incredibly lucky to be connected with was a lot more than a guy with a car in a time of need, he was a guardian angel named Raul Torres from Fresno, California, six hours north of Indio.

“A normal Uber driver takes you to a place and then drops you off. He insisted on coming in with me and making sure that I was going to have a ride after that,” Becca said.

The store wasn’t able to get her a new phone because she didn’t have access to her current plan. But Raul wouldn’t give up, so he took her to the local police station where they were able to locate the Airbnb where the thief was staying. The police let them into the room and they searched it but couldn’t find the phone.

@becccamooore
the uber driver that saved me from going missing is @buds4u559!! 😭 after spending the day w him he told me his daughter is a senior in high school & is having a hard time going through chemo. i made a gofundme, he could’ve left me and didn’t have to help me the way he did! I’d love to help his fam give his daughter a normal end to her senior year of high school this year (prom!!) i’m putting it in my bio!!

After the big let-down, Becca and Raul decided to take a break from their quest and refresh their spirits with some margaritas, on Raul. “Just because he’s an angel on this Earth,” Becca said in her TikTok video.

While the two bonded over drinks, Raul told Becca his daughter had been battling cancer and that’s why he’s been working as an Uber driver.

“He told me all he wants is for his daughter to have a normal end to her senior year, and to be able to go to big events like prom and graduation,” Becca said.

Raul also revealed that his father had cancer as well.

His revelations put Becca's troubles in perspective and made his decision to drop his driving for the day to help Becca all the more incredible.

@becccamooore
thank god he refused to leave me 😭 raul’s tiktok is @buds4u559. also you can donate to the fam in my bio!! thank you all for your donations and generosity. you today, me tomorrow!! #TipsForRaul

After the final slurps of their margaritas, Becca still wasn’t sure how she’d get home. But Raul wouldn’t give up. “We’re getting your phone,” he exclaimed.

He drove her back to the thief’s Airbnb where she found the phone sitting on top of the outside gate.

Becca believes the robber abandoned the phone after realizing the police were involved. Then, Raul helped Becca get a rental car so she could get home. Before saying their goodbyes, the two had spent eight hours together.

"Raul ended his Uber shift that morning to spend his day helping me, expecting nothing in return,” she said in her TikTok video. So she used her considerable audience to ask followers to help contribute to a GoFundMe page for Raul and his family. Over the first 4 days, the campaign has raised over $144,000.

"When I was in the car with him it seemed like we were both so focused on my situation. We were only talking about me getting a phone and like things that did not matter. And he completely glazed over the fact that his daughter and his dad were the ones that needed help," she admitted.

On Friday, April 29, Raul's dad passed away from cancer.

The story of Becca and Raul is a great reminder that no matter how big our troubles seem, it’s always important to put them in perspective.

This story originally appeared on 05.03.22

From Your Site Articles

heroes

So. There's this musical artist named Beyoncé. (Maybe you've heard of her?) And she just changed everything.

OK, changed everything might be dramatic. But she did make history.

Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Coachella.

Beyoncé became the first black woman to headline Coachella — a massive, two-weekend musical festival in the dusty, dry desert of Indio, California.

And people were loving her nearly two-hour set.

Okay, so Beyoncé is an undeniable force. 20 years in the game and still fresh and captivating. Brilliant. #Beychella
— B. Jacobs (@B. Jacobs) 1523794236

Like, really, really, head-over-heels obsessing over the experience history will now remember as #Beychella.

Was last night a dream? I’m still unable to deal. #Beychella https://t.co/IJd0y0QfFj
— Tonio ♕ (@Tonio ♕) 1523796767

One big fan of Beyoncé's next-level performance was Cara Delevingne.

Photo by Tristan Fewings/Getty Images.

On Instagram, the actress and model posted an image from #Beychella and expressed how moved she'd been by the powerful performance.

"I am speechless," she wrote. "That performance made me burst into tears and sent shivers down my spine."

I am speechless. That performance made me burst into tears and sent shivers down my spine. Especially the Destiny’s child reunion. ICONIC is an understatement. Thank you for inspiring so many and for lifting each other up. #GirlPower @michellewilliams @beyonce @kellyrowland
A post shared by Cara Delevingne (@caradelevingne) on Apr 15, 2018 at 5:17am PDT

But fans were quick to note, however, that Delevingne has lambasted Coachella in the past, as Billboard reported.

The actress previously made clear she would never be supporting Coachella after word began spreading in 2016 that Philip Anschutz — whose entertainment group owns the festival — uses his deep pockets to support several anti-LGBTQ, anti-abortion rights, and pro-gun advocacy groups and politicians.

Philip Anschutz. Photo by Harry How/Getty Images.

Many critics of the music festival have been airing their grievances on social media, using the hashtag #NoChella to voice their concerns over Anschutz's politics.

Delevingne, who identifies as bisexual, has been a vocal advocate against the music festival. But clearly, her Instagram post celebrated Beyoncé's big night, directing her 41 million followers to the bright stage lights of Indio.

Was Delevingne being hypocritical?

In a statement posted to her Instagram story, Delevingne fiercely defended her praise of Beyoncé while continuing to condemn Anschutz:

"Some people are commenting on the fact that I posted about my anger towards the owner of Coachella and then about Beyoncé. My hashtag was #NoChella. I still refuse to go to a festival that is owned by someone who is anti-LGBT and pro-gun. I am allowed to shame that man and the festival and show my appreciation of an artist at the same time."

Here why #CaraDelevingne will no longer attends Coachella Festival. https://t.co/wyWVVjWJgI
— CARAUPDATES (@CARAUPDATES) 1523817672

Delevingne's nuanced response nailed why feelings aren't mutually exclusive things.

She can appreciate an artist who championed Historically Black Colleges, made actual history, and basically ran the world in an almost two-hour on-stage extravaganza, while also despising the very same festival stage that artist performed on.

She's allowed to feel both those things — without also feeling like a hypocrite.

"Just because I love Beyoncé doesn't mean I now love Coachella," Delevingne concluded in her Instagram story. "I still wouldn't go. And I will let nothing get in the way of me showing my love or hate for something. Don't let anyone come between you and your truth."

Beyoncé just wrote a big check to HBCUs after an earth-shattering Coachella set.

Look at this.

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella.

I mean....

Thank you @beyonce for blessing us tonight. We went to the church of #beychella today. I was not ready but I came together quickly and got ready and received the anointing. Fully received! #coachella
A post shared by laverne cox (@lavernecox) on Apr 15, 2018 at 1:57am PDT

A literal. Queen.

Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Coachella.

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter, ruler of pop music and your favorite Southern-raised do-gooder (OK, my favorite), just made a huge announcement.

After a historic, legendary performance as the first black woman to headline a Coachella festival, Beyoncé announced a $100,000 donation to students at historically black college and universities (HBCUs).

GIF via “Flavor of Love.”

(Yeah, that was our reaction, too.)

This news is especially amazing, given how significant HBCUs are to the story of civil rights in the U.S.

HBCUs are institutions of higher education that were established to serve African-Americans before the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

As a part of her philanthropic BeyGOOD initiative, Beyoncé will donate $25,000 to four HBCUs as part of the Homecoming Scholars Award Program. One student from each HBCU ― Bethune-Cookman University, Tuskegee University, Wilberforce University, and Xavier University of Louisiana — will receive the money.

“We salute the rich legacy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities,” Ivy McGregor, Director of Philanthropy and Corporate Relations at Parkwood Entertainment which houses BeyGOOD said in a statement. “We honor all institutions of higher learning for maintaining culture and creating environments for optimal learning which expands dreams and the seas of possibilities for students.”

Maybe the coolest part? The gift is on theme.Beyoncé’sCoachella performance was dedicated to HBCUs and their unparalleled legacy of black culture. Beyoncé was joined by performers from marching bands and majorettes styled to reflect those from HBCUs.

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella.

And of course, Bey was immediately and deservedly praised for putting on such a public display of respect for HBCUs at a predominately white concert.

— (@)

Lest we forget, this certainly isn’t Beyoncé’s only example of her dedication to black excellence and scholarship.

After launching the visual album “Lemonade,” she created the BeyGood’s Formation Scholars Awards Program, which provided scholarship money to young women studying creative arts, music, literature or African-American studies at Berklee College of Music; Howard University; and Howard’s Parsons School of Design.

Through programs like this, she continues to amplify black education, women, and unique voices in her artistry — and it shows in her work.

Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for NARAS.

As HBCUs struggle to secure the funding necessary to maintain their important place in society, Beyoncé’s public and financial support is a welcome display of dedication to black culture. HBCU students will likely appreciate it.

To qualify for the award, applicants must maintain a 3.5 GPA or above. Universities will select all finalists and winners, and winners will be announced in the summer. To learn more, check out the program here.