"I don’t think she has a heart. She did this. She wasn’t thinking of me or her mother."
That's what Alvin Fulcher, disabled Navy veteran, thinks of his daughter, who he said pulled the "ultimate act of deception" that has him in danger of losing his Lemon Grove home.
Fulcher, 77, and his wife raised their kids and grandchildren in the home, and fostered dozens more. Nowadays, he has to feel his way around it because he's nearly blind.
His youngest daughter and her boyfriend moved in to take care of him and his wife. Little did he know, his daughter, who had taken control of their finances, had stolen tens of thousands of dollars from his account and stopped paying the mortgage.
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Police are investigating the alleged theft as a possible case of elder abuse.
"This is just too much. I can’t take it and I want her to pay.
Fulcher has piles of unpaid bills and a bank letter threatening foreclosure in less than two weeks. It shows he owes more than $28,000 on his home since June of last year.
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Fulcher and his grandchildren say they found out about the financial fiasco when Fulcher's wife died last month and they couldn't collect her life insurance.
"For this to happen to me at this time is sickening. I’m heartbroken, especially that it was one of my children that did this to me. I’m saying, what kind of heart does she have? She grew up in this house," Fulcher said. "She never gave a reason, just said, 'My fault, my fault..' She left,"
If the walls of Fulcher's home could talk, they'd share stories of more than 30 years of family get-togethers.
"We used to have a lot of parties with friends," Fulcher said.
The retired military man is now relying on the kindness of friends and family. He's hoping to raise enough money through an online fundraiser to keep him his home.
"My grandson wants me to come live with him in San Antonio. I'd prefer not to. I like to be more independent," he said.
Fulcher and his family say they've been talking to banks and other companies trying to buy more time and get the issue resolved. So far, with little success.
