Friends and strangers are reaching out to help a woman who has endured an almost unbearable set of misfortunes within the last month.
Linda Carter lost her daughter, Erin, a future son-in-law and two grandsons in a house fire in Alexandria a week after she returned home from the Mayo Clinic, where she was treated for a disorder that cost her career as a nurse.
Then, on Sunday, Carter was attending services at First Christian Church of Beech Grove when her locked car was broken into, 6News' Jennifer Carmack reported.
Thieves took Carter's purse, which was under the seat of her car. Inside were her wallet, pictures of her daughter and grandchildren, about $200 in gift cards meant to help her and the only survivor of the fire, 3-week-old Elysah Tracey.
"It's been unbelievable," Carter said. "It just seems like one thing after another keeps happening."
"They have compounded a tragedy ten-fold," said Jim Hensley, of the church. "Linda just couldn't thank people enough who gave and gave and gave, and to have a lot of that taken away is just devastating to her."
Carter got a call from a woman who had found her purse in a Greenwood trash can, but the purse and wallet were both empty when she got it back. "To be victimized again by the donations that were given to them, it's just reprehensible," said Beech Grove police Capt. Robert Mercuri.
"The things that were taken we can replace eventually when we get the money, but we can't right now because it's taking every penny we've got just to survive," Carter said.
Anyone who would like to help can contact First Christian Church at 317-786-8522.
If you have any information on the theft, please contact the Beech Grove Police Department.
