AURORA, Colo. —Sammy Heckerman and the rest of her family had their world turned upside down this summer.
"Not having my sister here for advice and my brother-in-law to make us laugh, it’s been rough. We’ve had good days and bad days, but we’re just trying to make sure the kids are happy," Heckerman said.
Heckerman's sister and brother-in-law, Jossline and Joe Roland, were killed Aug. 14 attempting to buy a car they found on an online app. The Aurora Police Department arrested 18-year-old Kyree Brown, accused of trying to rob the Rolands before killing them.
"The next hearing is in February. Right now, he’s still detained without bail," Heckerman said.
Joe and Jossline left behind five children as old as 18 and as young as four.
"They are so strong. They talk about their parents all the time from their heart. So, I feel like they’re doing well," Heckerman said.
Shortly after their parents death, the family moved the four youngest children to Jossline's hometown in Ohio where the kids will be surrounded by family.
"They are living with my sister and brother-in-law and their two kids. They just recently moved into a nice, big house to comfortably fit all eight of them," Heckerman said.
Thanks to Denver7 viewers' generosity, the children can now begin their new lives with $1,500 raised through the Denver7 Gives fund. That money will go to a trust for all five children.
"The support it’s incredible. It’s heartwarming," Heckerman said. "I don’t think we could’ve done it without the community."
Denver7 | Gives
Denver7 features the stories of people who need help and now you can help them with a cash donation through Denver7 Gives. One hundred percent of contributions to the fund will be used to help people in our local community.