A Filipino American small business owner and father of three in Vallejo, California is expected to recover and walk again after being shot multiple times during an attempted robbery earlier this month.
Marc Quidit, 49, was discharged from the hospital and greeted at home with flowers and balloons as family members led a prayer on Sunday, February 21.
His homecoming comes five days after two armed suspects entered his store, Dollar Plus & Party Supplies along Sonoma Blvd., and one shot him five times.
His family had feared the worst and that he wouldn’t be able to walk again. But with physical therapy, a video taken at the hospital shows Quidit using his legs with the help of a walker and being able to walk up to 100 feet. He is expected to fully walk again within two months.
Quidit, who is known to work seven days a week, remarked how he was ready to return to the store.
“Despite all the circumstances, my uncle has a positive attitude about his recovery. He was saying to his wife, ‘Honey, did you see that? I can go back to work next week,’” Quidit’s niece, Joanne Pomares, told the Asian Journal. “I think that’s what’s helping him with his quick recovery because he seems so positive about everything, making sure to have high spirits, and being thankful he’s alive.”
Surveillance footage from 7:20 p.m. on Tuesday, February 16 shows Quidit vacuuming while his sister stood behind the register. Then, two hooded and masked men enter with guns in an attempt to rob the store.
One of the suspects opened fire, hitting Quidit’s lower body five times, before they both took off.
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His sister, who was not harmed in the attack, screamed out for Quidit. Thinking she had also been injured, he found the strength to make it toward the counter, Pomares said.
Quidit was airlifted to John Muir Medical Center’s trauma center in critical condition. He underwent surgery and had four bullets removed from his body.
The morning after, his wife Nina took time off from her other job to reopen the store.
“They had to open up the store the next day because that’s pretty much how my uncle and his family support [themselves] with three kids and they rely on it as a source of income,” Pomares said. “It’s a testament of how strong-willed they are.”
Quidit was born in Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines and migrated to the United States in his teens, his niece said. He worked several jobs before he took over Dollar Plus & Party Supplies from his other sister, Pomares’ mother, about 14 years ago.
The Feb. 16 incident is not the first time the store had been robbed.
“It’s not fair that families have to be terrorized with these types of instances because they were so desperate for money or whatever it was that they were looking for,” Pomares said.
Quidit’s eldest daughter, who is 14 years old, expressed worry about the medical bills the family would face.
This prompted Pomares to start a GoFundMe page, which has received over $84,000, as of this writing. All of the donations will go toward her uncle’s medical expenses and rehabilitation.
Pomares said Quidit was emotional to see the financial support and that other community members have been bringing food and flowers to the family.
The investigation into the robbery is still ongoing and suspects have not been identified. The Vallejo Police Department has not returned a request for comment, as of this writing.
It is also unclear whether it will be classified as a hate crime as it comes during a surge in attacks against Asian American community members.
“If anyone has any information regarding the incident that night, come forward and help bring justice to what happened. That’s only fair to the family and can bring peace to the incident,” Pomares said.
Thanks God he can able to walk again after two months, but what about the suspect? are they already in jail?
I am so shocked to learn of our old friend Marc disaster. We are family friends for 25 years bu we live in the Philippines. We don’t have an email address for anyone in the family, not Elsa, Marc or Nina. Would be SO grateful if you could help us get in touch as we are visiting in May of this year. Thanks for any help. We are Jim & Angie from Gramma’s Pizza and our email is [email protected]