COPPERAS COVE, Texas — Bryan Petty was recently diagnosed with PTSD and chose to leave his corporate job when helping a neighbor due yard work after a storm inspired him to start a landscaping company.
”Working for the corporate world is not the easiest thing and also, it’s not the most feel-good work,” said Petty.
"After those storms had passed, my neighborhood needed a little bit of help — I offered that help and i could feel inside of myself, that I was healing from things that I'd been through.”
One of those neighbors is Sherry Hoffpauir, the wife of late CCISD sports announcer ‘Big Joe’ Lombardi.
”He’s been doing it for several months now and I admire anybody that works in the 100 plus degree heat, and he always goes the extra mile,” said Hoffpauir.
Last Wednesday ,he returned home with his family to find the trailer and the equipment he just spent over $10,000, gone and his dream crushed.
It’s a heartbreaking loss even his young daughters are feeling.
”Because he worked hard for it and now, we can’t have money to spend that much on food and stuff that we need,” said Kylie Petty, Brian Petty’s 9-year-old daughter.
Even the neighbors that he helps are devastated by the news of theft.
”Maybe somebody has an extra lawn mower, or weed eater, or leaf blower that they could donate to him just to get him started back right away,” said Hoffpauir.
“Trimmers, cloves, goggles, weed eaters, nearly everything you can think of that a lanscaper would need was stolen,” said Petty.
A man in Killeen heard Petty’s story on the Nextdoor app and gave him a lawn mower.
"It will take a little time and work to get it running but it’s a start.”
Authorities were also able to locate his trailer on a farm in Lampasas where the thieves abandoned it with the irreplaceable family flag still inside.
"What do you want the community to understand about what you’re trying to do for them?", 25 News asked Petty.
”Honestly, that even with everything that goes on in this world, there’s still good people out there,” Petty replied. “There are people that want to help — there are people that want to make a difference and I’m one of them.”
Petty said all he wants to do is get back to helping his neighbors and feeding his children.
If you have information on the location of the gear and equipment that was stolen from the Petty's, contact the Copperas Cove Police Department.
If you are able to help Petty and his family in another way, you can reach out to 25 News via email at, newsroom@kxxv.com or 25 News reporter Adam Schindler at, Adam.Schindler@kxxv.com. There is also a GoFundMe for the Petty and the family here.
