SANTA MONICA—On Saturday, December 21, surveillance footage shows that a U-Haul trailer with an estimated $40,000 in toys was stolen from the Windsor Park home of Eugene “Big U” Henley. As reporters gathered at the home to cover the story, a neverending stream of trucks loaded with toys showed up in front of the Henley home to replace the stolen toys that were slated to go to boys and girls in the Crenshaw community.
Photo Credit: Vitolda Klein
Big U, manages his family’s non-profit, “Developing Options,” and managed the careers of the late L.A. rapper, Nipsey Hussell, and rapper and record producer, Ricardo Emmanuel Brown, better known as, “Kurupt.” He is also the father of Los Angeles Chargers Linebacker Daiyon Henley. Big U was featured in a 2021 FX Documentary, “Hip Hop Uncovered.”
Daiyon Henley first told a KCAL reporter, that, “At one point there was a lack of hope. But, you got certain people in this community that won’t go for it and I think that just shows the strength within. And that’s what you got right now, a community that rallied back and made it happen.”
Due to the generosity of the Los Angeles Fire Department, and the community the toys were replaced. The Henley family has not lost hope that the person responsible for the theft of children’s toys will choose to do the right thing, and return the original trailer full of toys.
By Sharon