A man has been reunited with his family in Mexico after 13 years of separation. The emotional reunion occurred outside of an abandoned building in Monterrey, where Jorge Pineda,54, had been living, and was captured in a heartwarming TikTok video.
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Local resident André Hernández filmed Pineda on April 5 admiring his Ford Mustang. The video showed him barefoot and visibly moved by the sight of the sports car. Captivated by the moment, Hernández offered Jorge a ride, an experience shared on TikTok and viewed over 15 million times. This exposure was crucial as it caught the attention of Pineda’s family. The story continued after Hernández shared more content featuring Pineda, where he took him for a drive that resonated with many viewers, and the videos accumulated over 3.6 million views. Touched by Pineda’s situation, Hernández’s followers contributed funds to help provide Jorge with food, a new mattress, and a complete makeover. Jorge initially refused the donations and makeover.
The videos reached Pineda’s sister, Beatriz Pineda, who last saw her brother in 2011. She instantly recognized him and contacted Hernández. According to the Daily Mail, she explained to local news channel Info 7 that her brother lived in the United States but had charges related to narcotics that led to his deportation back to Mexico. When he returned, Pineda secured a job at a chocolate factory in Rino, Jalisco, but an accident caused him to lose contact with his family.
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Moved by the viral videos, Beatriz undertook an 11-hour journey from Ameca, Jalisco, to Monterrey to reunite with her brother. She expressed her emotional turmoil upon seeing the videos, noting that Jorge’s quiet demeanor often led to his rejection by others. Her touching recount of the reunion brought her to tears.
After reuniting with his family, Pineda moved back to live with his sister in Ameca and feels optimistic about his future.