Grand Junction Landlord Evicts Family After 13-Year-Old Stole Pair Of Shoes To Stay Warm

A Grand Junction family may end up spending their Christmas in a homeless shelter after being evicted from their apartment because one of the sons stole a pair of shoes from Kmart.

"My shoes were getting worn out, it was getting cold and my feet were getting cold," 13-year-old Oran Abbey told KJCT8 News.

The family had been living in the Garden Village Apartments, Section 8 housing in Grand Junction. In a statement to media, the manager of the Garden Village Apartments told media that shoplifting violated the family's lease agreement, saying that "Any criminal activity on or near the premises is grounds for immediate eviction."

The family has just two weeks to move and the boy's mother, Tanya Abbey, says that instead of putting up a Christmas tree she's now worried about finding space in a shelter.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Abbey said.

Her son says he feels like he let the whole family down and hadn't realized that his actions would put the entire family at risk for eviction.

“I thought it would just affect me. I had no idea it would affect my mom or my brother and sister, and I feel like if they should be kicking anybody out it should be me,” Oran said.