ASHTABULA COUNTY, Ohio — Eric Baldwin is used to a home filled with children and now he is adding two more who aren’t biologically his.
He wants to give his daughter’s siblings a life they deserve after their mom was tragically killed at home while all three children were sleeping.
“With everything going they need some sort of normalcy,” he tells 3News.
Nicole Kurtz was shot and killed in her home on Sunday, May 26 while her children were sleeping. The suspect is Kurtz’ boyfriend, 34-year-old Clifford Serafine, Jr., who she shares her last two children with.
Baldwin received a call from Lorain County Sheriff’s at 1:00 in the morning on May 27 to pick up his oldest daughter, who he shares with Kurtz.
“I asked the sheriff what they were going to do with the other two because obviously I didn’t want them to go to CPS, so I took all three of them,” said Baldwin. “Who wants to be split up from their siblings?”
The daughter he shares with Kurtz told her father that she didn’t want to be away from her younger sister and brother. While the younger two don’t understand what’s happening, Baldwin said the oldest is taking it the hardest.
“I don’t even think the three-year-old really understands because she asked about going home yesterday,” “[The oldest] cries a lot and wants to be left alone.”
He said splitting up the kids is not an option. Kurtz friends and family agree and are raising money on GoFundMe to help give the children a proper home. The money they raise will help to change the garage around, which are guidelines from Child Protective Services.
“I’m trying to make it legal as possible for them to stay here. Currently there’s six kids and three bedrooms,” said Baldwin.
Early estimates show it will cost anywhere from $15,000 to $20,000 to transform the two-car garage into two or three bedrooms.
He's hoping a new home can mend the now broken pieces of these young hearts who lost their mother too soon.
“I think they will be good here,” he said.
In addition to the GoFundMe, Culver’s in North Ridgeville will donate 10% of sales will be donated to the Nicole Kurtz Memorial on June 11, 2024 between 4 pm and 8 pm.