Thieves steal veteran's wallet as he saves choking woman


A Houston-area war veteran was doing a good deed when someone ripped him off.

Bob Carbajal, 62, was having a meal when he noticed a woman was choking and had stopped breathing nearby. His 22 years of military service came in handy as he stuck his hand down her throat and manually removed what was choking her.

When the woman regained her ability to breathe, Carbajal went to grab his phone and wallet –which he'd left on the table— and both were gone.

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Carbajal said there was $300 inside and a priceless photo of his late wife, Linda, who died of cancer three years ago.

Carbajal and his wife were married when she was just 18. They stayed together for more than 40 years. He carried a photo of her from her high school days in his wallet through his years of service. He says looking at her photo is what got him through tough times.

"They took the stuff and maybe just threw the wallet into a bayou or something. That picture is gone forever. That hurts," Carbajal told KTRK.

Police believe two women made off with the wallet. Carbajal said he planned to buy Christmas gifts with the money inside.