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Springdale Police raise money for officer's home hit by EF-3 tornado

The Springdale Fraternal Order of Police has set up a GoFundMe for Sergeant Mallory Kaleta and her family, who were in the home when the tornado hit.

SPRINGDALE, Ark — A Springdale Police Officer was working the night shift on March 29 when the early morning EF-3 tornado hit her home on March 30, leaving devastation. 

Sergeant Mallory Kaleta, Nightshift Sergeant at the Springdale Police Department, discovered her home was damaged during the tornado while her spouse and child were there. Her family got out in time and without injuries, but their home is unhabitable. 

"She's doing good. She's thankful that her family's okay. And they're going to rebuild. You know, the Springdale community's already stepped up and really come together. And the police community - we have agencies from all over that have reached out wanting to help out," said Captain Jeff Taylor with the Springdale Police Department. 

The Springdale Fraternal Order of Police has set up a GoFundMe for the Sergeant's family, which has already raised over $13,000. Local mothers are also collecting clothing donations for Sergeant Kaleta's child. 

"It's pretty much demolished," Taylor said. "You just look at it thinking of Godzilla stepping on top of your house and that's what it looks like. It's one of those that when you roll up, it's amazing that somebody didn't get injured inside that house."

Sergeant Kaleta is a military veteran and began her law enforcement career at the Springdale Police Department in 2014 where she later became a detective in 2018 in the Narcotics Unit and later the Criminal Investigations Division. She has served as a Field Training Officer, member of the Crime Suppression Unit, on the Honor Guard and as a Defensive Tactics Instructor.

RELATED: EF-2 Tornado Confirmed in Johnson/Springdale early Wednesday morning

RELATED: Springdale mobile home park suffers tornado damage

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