Senior Homeowner Scammed Twice After Drunk Driver Plows Into Home
DENVER (CBS4) - A Denver senior citizen is getting some long needed help in repairing his crumbling home on the west side of town near 40th Avenue and Vallejo Street.
Police say a drunk driver in a stolen car barreled through the brick in the front of Fred Majia's home and came to a stop right in the middle of his living room. Mejia, 79, vividly remembers hearing the crash.
"The loud noise, can you imagine that car coming through that wall?" he said.
Twice Mejia hired contractors to fix up his home, twice they took his money and never made the necessary repairs.
"They scammed me for $3,500," Mejia said.
So now neighbor David Vititoe is organizing other neighbors to pitch in with money and labor to fix up Mejia's home.
"We're going to repair everything," Vititoe said.
Fred hasn't had a working heater in four winters. The tough former Marine says it will be nice to have some warmth this year.
So far a GoFundMe campaign has raised $5,000. A local reputable contractor is volunteering his services but the project may cost about $50,000.
Mejia plans to put his house in a trust so that once he's gone it can help another struggling low-income family have a place to call home.
Suzanne McCarroll is a general assignment reporter at CBS4. Her stories can regularly be seen on CBS4 News at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. Connect with her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @SuzanneCBS4.
