One local woman is at risk of losing her home and two children after being the victim of a standoff in Salisbury, Maryland, in June. Now, she is asking the public for help.
Kelly McGrath’s entire life changed in an instant when, on Tuesday, June 18, a male subject held crews from The Salisbury Police Department, Wicomico County Sheriff’s office and Maryland State Police in a 9 hour-long standoff.
Crews first arrived at the 100 block of Cedar Way in Salisbury at about 3:30 a.m. due to a reported domestic assault in which police say the suspect barricaded himself inside the home and stabbed an individual.
The standoff ended at about 1 p.m. The suspect, identified as Matthew William Gruber, was transported to TidalHealth for what was later reported by police as self-inflicted injuries.
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‘I don’t sleep anymore’: Woman recounts horror of Salisbury standoff
“He was my fiancée,” McGrath said of Gruber. “He snapped one night and attacked me. He beat me, cut me with a knife, and totaled my vehicle.”
McGrath and her dog were both left visibly shaken after the ordeal. Thankfully, she said, her children — ages 5 and 8 — were not home at the time of the incident.
“I don’t sleep anymore. I’m so worried about being homeless and losing my children,” she shared. “They’re my life. I’m the only parent they have left. They need me.”
McGrath’s car was her only means of transportation that allowed her to travel to-and-from her workplace.
Now, without a vehicle of any sort, she is unable to get to work. If McGrath cannot work, she will lose her house. If she loses her house, she will lose custody of her children.
“All I do is work. I love to work. I need to get back to work. But I can’t because I can’t afford a vehicle,” said McGrath, who works as a teacher’s aide at a daycare. “That’s all I really need — a car.”
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GoFundMe created to assist Salisbury family
McGrath is asking friends, family and the surrounding community for support through the creation of a GoFundMe. The GoFundMe is asking for a total of $15,000 to assist McGrath on her journey to recovery and stability.
“I share it 17 times a day and it goes unnoticed,” McGrath said of the GoFundMe. “When you’ve got a single mom who’s struggling, people don’t care.”
According to the GoFundMe, a total of $50 has been raised.
“I can’t let this take away my independence. I can’t let this situation ruin me. I can’t let it defeat me because I’m not that type of person,” McGrath said. “I don’t give in. I don’t give up. I have to fight to keep my life together.”
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Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Salisbury woman, victim of standoff, domestic assault, starts GoFundMe
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