Rebuilding after Robbery and Destruction

My name is Sherry Heim-Leeser and I'm raising funds for my brother, Ben Heim. For Ben's safety, and because this is an active police investigation, we are being careful not to post anything that may compromise that process.

 

From January 4 to April 11, Ben was on an extended absence from his long time home. While absent, his home had been turned into a drug den, repeatedly robbed, and damaged. Most of Ben's possessions were either stolen or destroyed.

 

Starting in the kitchen, the dining room table was crammed into the kitchen against the kitchen table. All the cupboards were left opened and emptied onto the counters and tables. All the food, including spices, were stolen. All spare keys, including electronic car keys were gone. Dirty dishes overflowed the sink and counters. Garbage piled up and laid around on the floor. The kitchen and dining room chairs are no longer sturdy.

 

 

The back door was kicked in at least three times, the door trim broke off, and the locks no longer work. The entire door frame and door must be replaced.

 

Cushions for the couch, ottoman, and love seat were put on the moist dirty limestone basement floor. Most artwork was taken off the walls and stolen or thrown on the floor and trampled on. 

 

 

Most knick knacks and decorations were stolen or thrown on the floor. Items were displaced and moved to various rooms. Cabinet doors and mirrors were broken. The front door handle was broken off.  Several windows were broken, and the screens torn. Mini blinds in some rooms were pulled down and trampled.  Garbage was strewn all over. All televisions were stolen. 

 

 

Lightbulbs were loosened and removed. Fuses were flipped off. Room door knobs were removed.  Lock boxes were pried open and the contents gone. Even the hallway had items strewn throughout.

 

A toilet was plugged and overflowed. All clothes, coats, blankets, and shoes were removed from the dressers and closets, many of them stolen, others defecated and urinated on.

 

 

 

Items were thrown around, flipped upside down, or turned sidew

ays, including beds. Personal papers in the filing cabinet had been gone thru, many of them stolen, and the rest thrown everywhere. All drawers and closets emptied onto the floor. 

 

 

 

In this bedroom, another closet, shelves, and a dresser were emptied. Box spring tilted against wall. Drug paraphernalia and random spoons were laying in many different rooms.

 

 

 

 

Walls were painted with graffit

 

i in many locations. Strange drawings were placed in a frame and made the statement, "How do you like me now."

 

 

 

 

 

 

The electrical meter outside was removed and put back in upside down.

Every room, including the basement, attic, and yard, were impacted. The extent was unbelievable and hard to comprehend. 

In 1991, Ben was in a motorcycle accident, spent 52 days in a coma, and suffered a traumatic brain injury, including the brainstem, and partial paralysis. Around 2007, Ben had a stroke and suffered additional brain damage and paralysis. Because of these two brain injuries, Ben is on social security disability (a fixed income) and does not have the physical or financial means to rebuild on his own.

My goal is to raise $1,000 for Ben to use towards his insurance deductible and the cost of a home security system. This crime has left him feeling fearful, helpless, and alone. His personal possessions were taken, damaged and handled by people he does not know. He’s afraid of being alone in his own home. Each time he returns home, he’s left wondering if the house is safe or has been burglarized again. By contributing to this fund for Ben, you are telling him that there are people who care and that he is not alone. 

This tragedy goes deeper than the robbery and destruction of his home. Ben filed commitment paperwork to try and get his daughter mental health and substance abuse help on Nov. 23. She was ordered court outpatient substance abuse treatment and never went. She was bitter and angry over this and it culminated on January 4 when she called police and falsely claimed Ben was being physically abusive.

As a result of Ben’s traumatic brain injury, he has difficulty walking and keeping his balance and needs more time to understand what others are saying. Additionally, he has difficulty expressing thoughts in an organized manner and is challenged to express thoughts and feelings through nonverbal communication. When police officers arrived on Jan. 4, they assumed his disability was intoxication (although they never tested him for alcohol) and believed his daughter's story. Ben was falsely charged with domestic violence against her, and a no-contact order was issued. The court dismissed that charge and the no-contact order on April 11, but the robbery and damage had already been done.

Since Bens daughter was the alleged victim of domestic violence, she received possession of Ben's house. He was court-ordered to stay away, even though he was the owner of the home and paid all the bills, and she was unemployed, had never paid rent, and was only recently allowed back in for a few nights due to the holidays and cold weather.  

About a month later, on Feb. 9, his daughter was arrested and charged with burglary 3rd degree for a separate incident unrelated to Bens house. His daughter was in jail Feb. 9 - Mar. 23. During that time, Ben was still not able to go to his home because of the alleged domestic assault and no-contact order. The police were called to Bens residence 5 times for theft and vandalism, and they repeatedly stated there was nothing they could do. Responses varied but included: 1.) it's not a crime to have a messy home, and under the circumstances, it's his daughters home, not his, 2.) There is no way to prove that the missing items didn't belong to his daughter and that she was removing her own possessions, 3.) for items that belonged to Ben, there was no way to prove who stole them, and 4.) if Ben were to go to his residence, it would be a violation of the no-contact order.  

Ben and our family had to stand by and watch as his home of 20+ years was repeatedly robbed and destroyed while his wrongful domestic violence case went thru the justice system.

Ben has also lost his relationship with his only child through all of this. Please pray for him to overcome this emotionally and that his daughter gets the treatment she desperately needs. 

If you are able, please consider a donation for Ben to use towards his insurance deductible and the cost of a home security system, and most importantly, to show him your support. Also, a special thank you to those working alongside Ben and my dad daily to put Ben's house back together. We could never get thru this without your support. 

Thank you! 

Ben Heim and Sherry Leeser (sister)