WOFFORD HEIGHTS CALIF. (KERO) — A house turned upside down – during an extended stay at a hospital – one Vietnam veteran’s house was burglarized and trashed – and he might not be the only one.
- William Feirro says that his uncle's house in Wofford Heights was cleared of almost all of his uncle's possessions by thieves while his uncle was hospitalized.
- Alleged thieves taking almost everything - and destroying other parts of the house.
- His uncle, who Fierro says has lived in the house for 22 years, is still in the hospital. Fierro said he’s not sure how to keep people out.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
“Everything is gone man.”
Willaim Fierro is the nephew of Wofford Heights resident and Vietnam veteran Harold Everet Herbaugh, who has been in the hospital since last November.
Fierro tells 23ABC while his uncle was in the hospital, there’s been an ongoing problem at his home.
“His house has been looted, everything has been taken.”
Fierro lives in Pasadena and had fallen out of contact with his uncle – but says a phone call about 7 weeks ago changed that.
“Deputy Sheriff Hughes called me an said, ‘Do you know these people living here?’”
After learning his uncle was in the hospital – he came up to the house and saw the state it was in.
“He has four sofas in here, a big TV, and a computer missing.”
These photos show what the house used to look like.
“The pellet stove sat right here, you can still see the imprint of the tiled wood.”
Alleged thieves taking almost everything - and destroying other parts of the house.
“The wood waist board went all the way around the house - They pulled it all off and they stacked it in the closet, so here’s all the wood for the wall.”
And there’s evidence of people possibly living there.
“Rotting food, they had a big dog living in here with them,” Fierro said, “They took all my uncle's clothes and they were living here, and these are all women’s clothes.”
His uncle, who Fierro says has lived in the house for 22 years, is still in the hospital. Fierro said he’s not sure how to keep people out.
“I’ve put new locks on, they’ve broken three more times. I don’t know what to do.”
Considering all that's happened, Fiero says what hurts him the most are the sentimental items being stolen.
“There’s literally nothing left to remind me of my uncle, the family photos are gone, photos of my deceased mother, deceased father, all these photos are just irreplaceable.”
He found a painting by his brother in the trash, but most other items he believed were simply thrown away.
Fiero says those alleged criminals have used his uncle’s mail and information to open credit cards in his name.
“It took them one week to max it out.”
Fiero says he has now filed several police reports. KCSO confirmed to 23ABC that there is an active investigation but couldn't provide details.
He also pointed out other vacant homes in the neighborhood he says have been broken into. A resident who didn’t want to be on camera told me this has become a problem in Wofford Heights.
”They’re preying on the weak and elderly,” Fierro said.
Now, he’s trying to prevent any other credit cards from opening up in his uncle's name, and hopes to protect the house until he can clean it up.
“What they did in that one period of time, is going to last me and my uncle and my family a lifetime, we’ll never forget this.”
A gofundme was started by Fierro and you can visit and donate here.
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