Wedding photographer Oly Ruiz raised awareness about a robbery he and his team experienced in Italy the night before they had a photoshoot in the European country.
On Wednesday, October 1, the Metrophoto founder shared that he and his team lost their luggage and equipment, which had been left inside the car they were using for travel.
Ruiz said the car was parked along Lungotevere Ripa, near Ponte Palatino in Rome. When they returned, the vehicle had broken windows, “was forced opened, and emptied.”
According to him, they had just come back from dinner when they discovered that their belongings, including their laptop and camera, were no longer inside the car.
“I spoke too soon. I said it was, like, a good start for the day,” Ruiz said in a video post.
“Nawala lahat,” he added, saying that his entire luggage was stolen.
“The only luggage we were able to keep because we brought them with us are my roller — which has my camera and laptop — and the videographers’ camera bags. Marione lost his gear and passport,” the photographer said.
“Went to the police station to file a report, but it was closed already. No AirTags on any of the bags, not really sure how the police can help,” Ruiz added.
“AirTags” are Apple tracking devices that help owners keep track of tems like wallets, keys, luggage and more through the “Find My” app on iPhone.
“Had to inform our clients because we are shooting at 6 a.m. the next day. At least with complete gear now, but likely almost the same clothes,” Ruiz said.
“The day turned really bad. We had dinner in Rome, well, it’s our fault. We left some of our luggage in the car and when we went back there, the car’s [window] was broken, and all the luggage that was there [was] stolen. So, yeah, there’s nothing that we can do,” he added.
Ruiz thanked Italy-based wedding photographer Mark Mejia for being their “savior,” lending them his gear and even providing shirts.
“Sharing this because it’s a story to tell — to inform, to update, and to appreciate those who helped us,” he said.
Ruiz also shared how they managed to deal with the situation by expressing gratitude to individuals like Mejia and their clients, Franz Karunungan and Bryce Tan, whom he described as “so understanding and supportive of the situation.”
“Thank you to all those who reached out, there are so, so, so many of you, and while this is such an unfortunate event, we have never felt so cared for,” the photographer said in another video post.
“We’re making things happen, but there are a lot of things to still recover from this high-stakes learning experience,” Ruiz added.
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There have been recent reports of tourists being robbed in Italy.
Last July, an Indonesian national reportedly lost 10 suitcases in Rome.
In the same month, a Chinese tour group had their belongings stolen from their bus in just over 20 minutes while they were having lunch.
Also in July, an American tourist got injured during a “violent robbery attempt” in Florence.
