Family of fallen Raleigh police officer gifted a mortgage-free home
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The family of a fallen Raleigh police officer is getting a free, new home.
Officer Gabriel Torres was one of five people killed in the Hedingham mass shooting on Oct. 13.
He was on his way to work when he was shot and killed in his neighborhood.
Torres, 29, left behind his wife, Jasmin and their 2-year-old daughter, Layla.
"There are some things in life that you just do not expect to happen. I never expected to tragically lose my husband last October. I did, however, expect our normal routine. He was supposed to make it to work alive ... come home alive. He did not get that chance," Jasmin said.
Amid their loss, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation reached out to Jasmin to offer its support and a mortgage-free home.
"When the ache in my heart slightly settled, my brain kicked into overdrive," Jasmin said. "How will I do this? All these bills, our home, our future? I began to realize that our dreams and goals were now further out of reach. Tunnel to Towers helped restore my diminished confidence to tackle life head-on with my daughter. The unexpected happened again, this time in the most incredible way ever."
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Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson was on hand for the private ceremony to welcome the family to their new home.
"The Raleigh Police Department is extremely grateful for the love, benevolence, and support Tunnel to Towers has given to Jasmin and Layla," Patterson said. "Their commitment to honor the lives of our fallen heroes and their families across the nation is remarkable."
The Tunnel to Towers Fallen First Responder Program pays off the mortgages for families of law enforcement officers and firefighters who are killed in the line of duty, die from 9/11-related illnesses, and leave behind young children.
"I know he would be so thankful that his girls are being taken care of," Jasmin said. "He worked so hard to do that for us himself."
