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Volunteers clean up mess at Army nurse's vandalized home

Reported by: Elizabeth Dinh
Email: edinh@wfts.com
Last Update: 6/13/2009 7:58 pm
Army reservist Arleen Agosto shows off her daughter's army jacket, after discovering it wasn't touched by people who vandalized her home Thursday.
Army reservist Arleen Agosto shows off her daughter's army jacket, after discovering it wasn't touched by people who vandalized her home Thursday.

WESLEY CHAPEL, FL -- There are burn marks and bright paint streaks on the walls. Stains left in the carpet. A trashed television. Those things were only a part of a huge mess at Arleen Agosto's home, yet volunteers cleaning up Saturday believe "God is at work" - a phrase seen on one of the volunteer's t-shirts.

12 year old Gabby Zuniga didn't even know the homeowner when she arrived, but just wanted to help. "I bet she's a very wonderful lady and I was so shocked," she said.

Steve Bockus, also a volunteer, told us "Frankly, I was apalled, and from what I gather, it was half cleaned up before we got here, so I heard it was a lot worse."

Agosto, a 25-year Army veteran, has been serving as a nurse at Ft. Eustis, Virginia for the last eight months. A few days ago - she came home to a terrible smell and a torn-up home - and investigators are still looking for who did it. "It was extremely viscous how they attacked the home," Agosto said.

Among the priceless things the single mother-of-three lost: her oldest daughter's Army uniform. While the dirty work continued, out of the mess, Arleen found her daughter's army uniform - still clean; still carrying precious memories."

Even though Arleen is staying in Virginia, she had plans to use this home for a good cause, telling us: "I was going to let another family move in who didn't have a place to live - their house is under foreclosure."

Arleen told us she's a faithful person and she's just asking for everyone to pray for her, to get through this terrible time.
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