BENTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — Mer Wilder married her wife in August of 2023, ready to start a life together.
"We were, you know, very much looking forward to starting a home and potentially having a family and having a place for our kids to live," Wilder said.
In April, they'd find a home that needed some love in renovations. The couple moved into the home two weeks into May, a month of change for the family that quickly became a month of change for the whole county.
"The tornado took out the entire west side of our home. So it destroyed the kitchen, both back bedrooms, both restrooms and water mitigation emergency came in and took everything down to the studs, so there's basically no west side of the home right now. It is, you know, a shell of a house," Wilder said.
In the aftermath of the May 26 tornadoes, the couple found a rental but continuously drove by their home. Wilder says they had to secure the west side of the home with locks, but it wasn't enough to keep criminals away.
"Someone saw an opportunity. They must have cased it out," Wilder said. "I used to own bicycle shops, so they took all of my bicycle tools, which are very expensive tools. Insurance is not covering those. They took a bicycle; they took all of our power tools. They took our lawnmower, our weed whacker, every like everything you keep in a garage, basically got away with them."
Wilder says they've been dealing with insurance to fix the home and now this burglary has complicated their claim. She said it could be a full year before they're back in their home.
The couple has received help from FEMA, a Benton County fund, and their insurance, but that doesn't cover all of their costs.
If you'd like to help the couple as they bridge that gap, you can donate to their GoFundMe.
The Wilders are not alone as victims of both the storm-related crimes. Benton County has already filed charges of commercial and residential burglary in crimes related to the storm. Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Robinson issued the following statement:
"Law Enforcement is taking reports and conducting investigations as they do with every type of case and report of criminal conduct. I’ve asked the law enforcement to notify my office specifically of any arrests that are related to the storm. My office is taking a close look at these cases and working with investigators to make we have a strong case where the evidence indicates such a crime was committed. I have taken the position that these crimes are aggravating based upon the unique vulnerability of the community following the storm."
"I am seeking accountability and stiff, proportional punishment for those that have victimized others that were already suffering. These cases that have come to us are currently ongoing in the prosecution, and it’s not proper for me to comment about them specifically. They are a priority for me. I encourage everyone to continue to report these crimes to their local police department for investigation."
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