Tornado Victims Fear Looting, Stay In Homes Without Electricity
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GARLAND (CBS 11 NEWS) - Protecting their homes in the aftermath of a tornado, residents in a Garland neighborhood are braving near-freezing temperatures and staying inside their homes without power.
"I got to protect my property. This is my house. This is what I work for. If I leave, everything might be gone," said Jose Chavarria, a Garland homeowner.
Fearing looters and thieves will pounce on his tornado-damaged neighborhood near Bobtown Road and I-30, Chavarria and others are not leaving their homes.
Chavarria has hooked up two generators, has a fire flickering in the backyard and plenty of food, water and blankets for Monday night.
"It kind of feels sad because you see the other people and they're not going to be here for a while. They're gone, all their stuff is gone. So it's a sadness for me," said Chavarria.
Some folks were not just worried about their belongings, but also their pets. Chavarria devoted much of his back-up power to his 14 fish.
"I got no choice, I can't leave them. If I move and they tell me to move, I'll take them with me," said Chavarria.
To show support, Chavarria's family members are also staying with him despite have no electricity.
"Just to let him know we're going to be strong even though the storm hit. We're going to recover, we're going to be good again," said Jessica Rodriguez, his niece.
The support goes a long way for Chavarria who is now watching over his storm-ravaged neighborhood.
"There (are) a lot of cops around here. So if they try to come over here, they know where they're going to end up," said Chavarria.
Oncor told many residents it could several days until electricity is restored.
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