Community Rallying Around 'Desperate' Couple Out $4K

Friends and family members are doing their best to help a couple expecting their first child recover from an unfortunate incident that has the young parents-to-be without their life savings.

Richard Larochelle and Julianna Arsenio, who is eight months pregnant with Jackson, their first child, have been doing their best to find the $4,000 Larochelle lost outside the old Salem Market Basket earlier this week. 

No one has come forward with details about the money, though, which has prompted the creation of a GiveForward.com page to help the couple recoup some of the money they planned to use to cover the costs of their newborn son as well as pay for the apartment they were supposed to move into on Friday.

"If I can't help my friends get their missing wallet and money back, I can sure try to help them get back on their feet," wrote friend Rachel Spada on the donation page, which she created. "Please, help three amazing people, by making a donation to Julie, Richard and their baby, Jackson. If we could get them as much as possible by the end of the month, we could help relieve them by next months rent, utilities, groceries, and whatever they may need, as Julie is due next month!"

Larochelle, 26, visited family members in Salem on Monday before paying some bills and shopping at Market Basket. After getting back into his vehicle, he realized he lost his wallet.

Arsenio, 24, a full-time student at Mount Washington College, has told Patch that the wallet was likely lost in the Market Basket parking lot around 6 p.m. Monday. The wallet contained "over $4,000," a paycheck stub, a student loan check stub and various receipts, she said. 

Arsenio and Larochelle will sign their new apartment's lease on Friday, even though the loss of the money originally had them "desperate" and unsure if they'd be able to afford it. 

"It's going good," Arsenio said Friday about the days since the money was lost. "We are staying positive and moving forward... Family has been very supportive and helped us a lot, and Richard worked hard to get the funds to move in today. So I'm very thankful for our friends and family who have been very supportive and wonderful."

Larochelle, a full-time Mount Washington College student who also works full-time, had over $4,000 in cash on him Monday because their new apartment "only takes bank checks or money orders," and he planned to get a money order Monday night, according to Arsenio.

The couple has retraced the events leading up to the wallet's disappearance in the Market Basket parking lot. Arsenio said they have also reached out to police and viewed surveillance footage at all of the shops her boyfriend visited, although all their efforts have so far been unsuccessful.

The long, tan trifold wallet has a Red Cross first aid patch on the inside, as well as Larochelle's school, work and personal information.

Arsenio has said she and her boyfriend aren't seeking any additional money from anyone. They just want to get the wallet and its contents back.

"My boyfriend works so hard for us and he is so disappointed," said Arsenio. "Please help us find his wallet."

Anyone with information about the wallet is asked to contact Arsenio at (508) 527-4997 or the Salem Police Department at (603) 893-1911, or to anonymously drop the wallet off at the police station.

Donations to the couple can be made here.