Scammed, Assaulted & Displaced — Help Me Rebuild Our Lives

My name is Rachel Martin. I’m a mother , a small business owner, and a student working toward becoming a chef. I’ve fought hard to overcome homelessness, trauma, and life’s many challenges — but what happened on April 28 took everything from me.

I rented an apartment from a man named Tyris J. Howery, who I later found out was a fake landlord running a scam. I paid him in full and moved in, thinking I was finally creating a safe place for me, my daughter, and my sister. I had no idea the danger we were in.

On April 28, Tyris came into the apartment and assaulted me, my sister, and my daughter, Raniyah. He shot a gun inside the unit, cut off our electricity, and left us terrified. I called the police, and they immediately told us the place was unsafe — we were displaced on the spot.

That night, I stayed with a friend just to keep us safe. The next day, I booked a hotel room for two weeks out of my own pocket. After that, my school stepped in and covered another two weeks at a different hotel. When that ended, I was able to move in temporarily with someone I know and trust — Brittany — where I’m staying now.

But since that day, I’ve had no stable housing.

When I returned to the apartment to get our things, I found out everything was gone. Tyris stole all of our belongings — clothes, furniture, personal items — everything I worked so hard for was gone. We are starting completely over.

I’m raising $7,500 to:

• Secure a safe and permanent home

• Cover move-in fees, deposit, and utilities

• Replace everything that was stolen from us

• Bring some sense of normalcy back to my daughter’s and sister’s lives

This has been one of the most traumatic experiences we’ve ever lived through. But I’m still fighting. I still believe in new beginnings. I still believe in community. And I still believe that this moment will not define us — how we rise from it will.

If you can donate, share, or even just pray for us, I would be so grateful. Thank you for reading and for standing with me as I rebuild.

With love and resilience,

Rachel Martin