Thieves spotted stealing items inside a fire damaged house

CALDWELL, Texas (KBTX) – A few weeks ago, a group of homes in Caldwell caught on fire where one home was destroyed and surrounding homes were affected.

Since the fire, thieves have been spotted during the day stealing items inside one of the neighboring homes.

Friday evening, neighbor Dollie Durbin-Davila was on an evening walk when she spotted two men through a window of the home scrounging for items. She said once the thieves saw her watching they ran away.

“I came right here to the corner and I saw these guys in this room here, the middle room and I thought, ‘What’re they doing?’ And then one guy stepped back out and he turned and looked cause I had my hands on my hip and I caught my hip and he looked at the other guy and he tapped on the shoulder and the other guy set the stuff back down in the room and the guy that was here set the stuff back in the window. I thought ‘The nerve!’” said Durbin-Davila. “Testicular fortitude is what they had to come in and steal, testicular fortitude.”

Kristal Myers who lives at the house said a few valuable items were stolen like an A-C unit and jewelry.

“Going through my boyfriend noticed that the people had moved the ceiling and insulation around to scavenge what they could underneath. And they had gone through the whole house looking for stuff,” said Myers.

Durbin-Davila said it shocked the neighborhood already in the wake of a tragedy.

“And then you’re going in there and being scavengers per say and just stealing what you can get your hands on. First you’re taking their window unit, and I said I hope you’re enjoying the $40 or $50 you got for it at the pawn shop. Y’all [the thieves] got some stones!” said Durbin-Davila.

Fire Chief David Pevehouse with Caldwell Fire and Rescue says it can be common for thieves to steal items from homes damaged in a fire and this incident isn’t the first time he’s seen acts like this happen. Pevehouse says the thieves were probably looking to make some money.

“You got people that think they may want something or see what they can get out of it or make a dollar I guess you could say, and don’t have no respect for who lived there, who owned it, and so forth,” said Pevehouse.

Caldwell Fire and Rescue say the thieves have not been arrested. They recommend that if you find yourself in a similar situation, keep your distance and call the police.