WSVN — A Miami Gardens police officer was ambushed and shot on the job. Now his wife is speaking about the shooting for the first time. Tonight in the Lowedown, she tells 7’s Rosh Lowe how her family is still fighting an uphill battle.
Belinda Starling, Officer’s Wife: "My husband did not survive this horrific event for me to give up… and I will not give up."
No, Belinda Starling will not quit. She maintains her faith even after her husband was shot on the job in Miami Gardens. And why won’t she quit? She has witnessed a miracle.
Belinda Starling: "And he said, ‘I’ve been shot. I’m going to be OK.’ I said, ‘What?’ He said, ‘I’ve been shot.’"
Belinda Starling and her husband, Miami Gardens police officer David, always had a deal.
David Starling: "The first thing that I did was– after I realized I was still alive was go call my wife and and let her know. We always have an agreement if anything happened to me, I would call my wife. The next thing I did was offer a word of thanks."
We spoke with David in his hospital room days after he was shot in late January. He was sitting in his patrol car writing a report when cops say David Mejia opened fire. He was hit twice in the backside.
Belinda Starling: "I just remember walking in and seeing him with all these people around him with his eyes open, and when he smiled and said he loved me, and I knew he was going to be OK."
But the Starlings are struggling financially.
Belinda Starling: "The prayers and well wishes, it has just been beyond belief."
Her husband is now recovering at home and she took us to the source of their financial difficulty.
Rosh Lowe: "Officer David Starling was working a lot of overtime. Why was he working so much? This was supposed to be his dream home in Palm Beach Count. In August of last year, they purchased this home. They wanted to do a lot of work, a lot of renovations. They tell me the contractor went bankrupt and now they’ve lost most of their life savings."
Belinda Starling: "They tore everything out without a plan and dug up the floor and left all of this mess."
This is what the house looked like when they moved in, and this is the house now.
Rosh Lowe: "When you look at this now, what goes through your mind?"
Belinda Starling: "My husband and I worked very hard. We’ve prayed about this."
The Starlings are renting elsewhere– don’t have the money to finish the renovations on this home. They say other contractors don’t want to touch the project because of the damage and liability.
Belinda Starling: "We still keep the faith and we put all of this in God’s hands and He will get us through this."
Belinda is now hoping for her second miracle. In West Palm Beach, Rosh Lowe, 7News.
Since we first aired this story, 7News viewers have helped raise more than $18,000. If you would like to donate, there is a link to a GoFundMe page for the Starlings below.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
https://www.gofundme.com/8cx97kzg