Two Pierce County, Washington, brothers were planning their mother's funeral when burglars broke into their home, Seattle's KIRO-TV reports.
Now those two brothers are left with nothing as they mourn their mother.
The Spanaway family is devastated and pleading for those responsible to come forward.
“You know, it's one thing after another, and I don't think I can take another. Can't take anymore," said an emotional Carolyn Sturtz.
Sturtz and her grandsons haven't even buried her daughter and their single mother, Sandra, who died suddenly the day before Thanksgiving after suffering medical problems.
"There is nothing left in this house for these boys. Absolutely nothing," Sturtz said through tears.
Sturtz and the brothers, a 13-year-old and a special-needs 20-year-old, came to check on Sandra's home after making funeral arraignments, only to find the house in Spanaway had been trashed.
Electronics, heaters, a television and Sturtz's daughter's dolphin figurine collection were all gone.
And that wasn’t all.
"Somebody has robbed us and taken everything. They took the dogs. They took everything," Sturtz said.
Two dogs – a boxer mix and a pug that Sandra's special-needs son, Jordan Hoskins, depends on – also were stolen.
"What kind of person would break into ... a dead person's home and steal all their valuables, even their dogs and dog food? It's just not right," Hoskins said.
The family thinks the burglars backed a truck along the house took down a fence to get into the house.
The family thinks the break-in happened between 2:30 p.m. Thursday and 5 p.m. Friday.
The family is asking for just one thing.
"Whoever's out there, whoever took those animals – then just please return them," Sturtz said.
The family has set up a donation account at nearby Key Bank locations.
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