Cross-Country Walker Loses Journey Footage After Reaching San Francisco

On October 29, Chantz Rivera was staying in San Francisco after completing a 2,500-mile walk from the Bronx. He set out on May 31, pushing a succession of carts and wagons, and gained more than 50,000 Instagram followers while sharing his journey. He arrived in the Bay Area after 149 days on the road.

Rivera said someone took a small bag from him at a McDonald’s close to the intersection of Fillmore Street and Golden Gate Avenue. It held portable chargers and devices containing photos and videos he had not yet shared. He initially felt too sick and tired to care about the theft, but was upset when he realized the journey footage was gone. He also lost shoes given to him in Sacramento after leaving them in a cart that disappeared while briefly unattended.

A person who offered to arrange a hotel stay had only reserved a room, Rivera said, and had not paid. Later, the manager of a San Francisco hotel offered him a room for a night or two. Another person took him for pizza and drove him to Twin Peaks. Rivera said he felt healthy, though he wanted to rest. He planned to spend about a week in San Francisco, then travel by train to Los Angeles and Las Vegas before flying home.