The Tunnel to Towers Foundation announced Saturday that it has paid off the mortgage on the family home of slain Lincoln Police Investigator Luis “Mario” Herrera in full, through its Fallen First Responder Home Program.
Investigator Herrera, 50, lost his life on September 7, 2020, two weeks after he was shot while attempting to serve an arrest warrant.
Herrera Family
He began his law enforcement career with the Nebraska State Patrol in 1995, and joined the Lincoln Police Department two years later, starting as an officer and later becoming an investigator.
Investigator Herrera also served his country in the U.S. Army and in the Army Reserves.
He is survived by his wife, Carrie, and their four children, Carlos, Olivia, Celia, and Adelina.
This is the seventeenth home in the Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s second annual Season of Hope, during which it will deliver 36 mortgage-free homes between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve.
“In this time of so much pain and uncertainty of life without Mario, knowing we will be secure in our home is more than words can describe. It is an uplifting feeling that is brought on by others’ kindness, and that is an amazing feeling. Our mortgage being paid off during Season of Hope… this brings joy, happiness, cheer, and every other emotion we should have during the holidays,” Carrie said.
The Tunnel to Towers Fallen First Responder Home Program, created in 2015, pays off mortgages for the families of law enforcement officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty who leave behind young children. The Foundation’s goal is to ensure stability and security to families facing sudden tragic loss.
“Our country is full of heroes like Investigator Herrera, men and women who spend decades putting their lives on the line to protect everyday Americans. The sense of security that comes with knowing you never have to worry about a mortgage payment again – we owe it to them, and to the families they leave behind. It means the world to us to be able to give this gift to Carrie and her children ahead of the holidays,” said Tunnel to Towers Chairman and CEO Frank Siller.
You can help Tunnel to Towers provide mortgage-free homes to the families of fallen first responders, injured veterans, and Gold Star families by donating $11 per month at tunnel2towers.org.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s mission is to honor the sacrifice of FDNY Firefighter Stephen Siller, who laid down his life to save others on September 11, 2001. To date, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation has spent over $250 million to honor and support our first responders and veterans and their families.
For more about the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, please visit tunnel2towers.org
Follow Tunnel to Towers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @Tunnel2Towers.
Source: Tunnel to Towers News Release