Couple picking up the pieces after home stripped by burglars

Rogue River, Ore. — A Grants Pass couple is picking up the pieces after thieves stripped their home in Rogue River.

Lisa Merritt got a call on January 18th from her realtor saying the home she was trying to sell was burglarized.

“I thought it was just the appliances but she said no they took your kitchen. Your entire kitchen, cabinets, countertops, everything,” Merritt said.

When she went to the house she was shocked. She found almost everything had been taken, carpet, the bathroom sink, showerhead, and water heater. Everything but the kitchen sink.

“You always expect vandalism or burglary, but not to that magnitude,” Merritt said.

But this isn’t the first time the couple will start from scratch. After they bought the house four years ago it burned down due to faulty wires. The house sits on a busy road so she suspects it happened late at night and was the work of trained contractors. She said they had the right tools to gut the house.

“They knew what they were doing,” Merritt said.

Everything in the house was brand new, but because the house sat vacant insurance will not cover the $20,000 in losses. Police are still investigating, but Merritt is worried for other homeowners in the area. She’s asking people to keep their eyes and ears open for any suspicious activity.