Haskell County Nurse Targeted By Burglar While Battling COVID-19 In Hospital

A Haskell County nurse who’s been in the hospital fighting COVID-19 is now the victim of a home break-in. It happened just one day before Brenda Benson was set to come home. 

Benson's family said this is just too much and the Haskell County Sheriff agrees. They both urge people with information about who did this to come forward.

For an entire year, Brenda Benson has been helping COVID-19 patients at a Muskogee hospital.

In January, she got COVID herself and spent three weeks on a ventilator. Then, she was finally on her way to recovery.

"Very excited she's getting to come home," said Melissa Bass, Benson’s daughter.

Bass said her brother and sister-in-law were checking on her house and noticed the door was unlocked, and when they went into Benson’s bedroom, they saw a smashed window.

"They use this opportunity to take from her when she's not home, and she's literally been battling for the past two months," said Bass.

Bass said two guns were taken. One of them belonged to Benson's dad who recently passed away, and Haskell County Sheriff Tim Turner said the thief also took a five-gallon jar of change.

"We have somebody sick in the hospital and somebody wants to go break into their house, those folks belong in our jail," said Turner.

Sheriff Turner said this also happened a few weeks ago to a Stigler man who was in the hospital. He said thieves took 40 guns from that home, and the sheriff's office does have a suspect identified in that case. He said these crimes are not tolerated in Haskell County.

"We're going to find a thief and make sure they're held accountable," Turner said.

Bass said it's heartbreaking someone would do this to such a wonderful woman who's spent her life helping others.

"I feel sad for whomever is doing this and taking advantage, and I'm praying for them," she said.

If you have any information on the break-in, you're asked to call the Haskell County Sheriff's Office at (918) 967-2400.