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Landscapers brutally beaten, robbed of tools on Southern California job site

A married couple working as landscape architects was shaken when thieves violently stole their tools, seriously injuring one of them.

The incident occurred on the afternoon of Jan. 7, when Esteban Vargas and his wife, Linda Huerta, were working at the South Pasadena home of one of their clients, according to a GoFundMe set up for the couple.

While Vargas was working in the customer’s backyard, two men approached the family’s pickup truck and began stealing tools inside, prompting Huerta, who was nearby, to intervene.

Brandon Ruiz, one of the couple’s customers, explained that he tried to stop the men from taking their tools.

“The guy held on to the guy as he got into his truck, and the guy dragged him down the street,” he explained. “He hit her hard and she fell out of the truck and I think that’s why she got the staples in her head from that hit.”

Huerta, who suffered head injuries that required staples and a large scrape on his back from being dragged down the street, told KTLA that the incident frightened him and that he is still in pain.

Vargas became emotional as he described how fearful he was for his wife’s safety.

Landscape architect Linda Huerta, along with her husband Esteban Vargas, were seriously injured during a violent robbery at a construction site in South Pasadena on January 7, 2026. (KTLA)
Landscape architect Linda Huerta, along with her husband Esteban Vargas, were seriously injured during a violent robbery at a construction site in South Pasadena on January 7, 2026. (KTLA)
Landscape architect Linda Huerta, along with her husband Esteban Vargas, were seriously injured during a violent robbery at a construction site in South Pasadena on January 7, 2026. (KTLA)

“He showed me he got new equipment and I thought it was a Christmas present, and then he’d start crying and I was like, ‘What’s the matter?’ I thought. He said his wife was beaten and his equipment was stolen. He showed me their truck and the chain they broke,” Ruiz told KTLA.

In total, it cost the couple about $1,500 to replace equipment stolen during the ordeal.

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“I was so upset when he showed me the photos,” Ruiz said, adding, “These families are hard-working and we’re going through a lot right now with this migration, and it’s very sad to see that someone would steal from them the things that make their living.”

After the incident was reported to the police, an investigation was launched to capture the 2 suspects involved in the robbery.

“I hope whoever did this is caught, but more importantly, the family can heal,” Ruiz said. “It’s not just physical but emotional trauma that they will experience because of this.”

As the couple returned to work just days after the harrowing incident, community members organized an event. GoFundMe to help them recover from their losses and provide for their families during recovery.

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