A down-on-her-luck Kentucky woman who claimed her boyfriend was laid off when they lost their home to a tornado had to stop asking for donations after police began looking into her story.
While returning to her London, Kentucky, home after the death of her mother-in-law, Sierra Barnes said she learned a tornado was about to hit her town and her family was able to head to safety, KLTV reported.
“It was like a voice spoke to me, ‘Turn around.’ It was probably the best thing we could have done,” she told the news station. When she was finally able to return, she found her home had suffered heavy damage and could potentially even be ruled a total loss.
“I built my whole life there. I raised my daughter there,” she said.
Barnes later set up a GoFundMe seeking help after the loss, but also wrote on the fundraiser that her boyfriend lost his job working for the city of London’s public works department.
According to a since-deleted section of the fundraiser, Barnes said her boyfriend had been working 12-hour workdays since the tornado and “now they have laid off him and seven other men as well.”
Barnes told KLTV her boyfriend was part of a group that was told they were about to be laid off. However, officials with the city of London told the news station there had been no terminations in the past week – and no layoffs planned for the immediate future.
City officials noted they had not fired anyone, but were, instead, looking to hire additional help. It was not immediately clear what caused Barnes to include that claim in her fundraiser.
London police said they were investigating the incident. Barnes’ GoFundMe remains listed but is no longer accepting donations. It also makes no mention of her boyfriend losing his job.
Before it was shuttered, the fundraiser received $500.
The Independent has messaged Barnes through the fundraiser seeking comment.
