Navy Offers Army Veteran, Victims of Jet Crash Fraction of Possessions' Worth

An Army veteran whose home was destroyed by a fiery Navy jet crash said he was shocked to learn the U.S. government planned to pay him under $5,000 -- even though officials told him they'd cover "whatever it costs" to replace his family's lost possessions.

Jesus and Shady Valenzuela lost everything on June 4, 2014, when an AV-8B Harrier jet from the Third Marine Aircraft Wing malfunctioned and crashed into the Imperial, California, house they were renting.

In an interview Thursday, Jesus told NBC 7 military personnel were extremely helpful after the incident, telling the family to go shopping for necessities like pajamas and toothbrushes. A military official from Washington D.C. even flew to Imperial to meet with them about the recovery process and how to get everything replaced.

"’Just write it down and we'll take care of it. We're going to pay you whatever it costs to pay you to buy it now to replace it,’” Jesus said, quoting the official.

The couple wrote a three-page inventory, cataloging everything they could think of, and submitted the claim to the military. In all, their lost possessions totaled $115,000, they estimated.

Jesus told NBC 7 he trusted the military would help them get their lives back to normal because he is an Army veteran and served for his country.

β€œI was loyal to my country. I'm loyal to my community. I'm a law enforcement officer,” said Jesus, who is now a sergeant at a state prison. β€œI've served my community for 22 years, so I believed him."

While waiting for the claim, the Valenzuelas were able to borrow money from their local church and community members. The couple thought they were on the right track to rebuilding their home -- until they got an initial settlement offer from the U.S. government.

The amount offered was $4,460.

"We opened the letter and I was like, I, I was just -- I wasn't mad. I was disappointed," Jesus said.

Jesus called the attorney representing the military for an explanation. When asked how they came up with that figure, the lawyer said, β€œIt’s depreciation.”

The Valenzuelas plan to refuse the offer since they say it will only make a small dent in what it has cost them to start rebuilding.

"It's really put us in a stressful situation because now we're seeing that they're not going to want to pay us,” said Jesus. β€œAnd we owe money to people that they're depending on the government as well so we can pay them back."

The Valenzuelas told NBC 7 they are also in the process of helping Shady’s mother and father, who lived with them in their Imperial home. The parents were inside at the time of the crash, but they were not physically hurt.

Their car, which was in the driveway at the time of the crash, was destroyed along with a motorized scooter, their bedroom furniture and clothes. They too have received an initial settlement offer in the amount of $1,330.

The owner of the home also reached out to NBC 7 because his settlement offer from the military was less than half of the value of the home, which is surrounded by a chain link fence until it can be demolished and rebuilt again.

In a statement emailed to NBC 7 Friday, Navy Public Affairs Officer Jennifer Zeldis said the Navy is committed to resolve claims related to the plane crash in a β€œfair and timely matter.”

β€œWhile we cannot discuss the status of individual claims for privacy reasons, those claims not resolved are in various stages of the process. The Department of the Navy takes this matter seriously and will continue to monitor the progress of these claims,” her statement said.

Zeldis explained once a claim is received, the Federal Tort Claims Act allows the Navy six months to make a decision on it. If no decision is made after that time, the victims can file a lawsuit or wait for a final decision.

If a claim is denied, the victims have the right to file a suit within the next six months.

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