The explosion took place during the wedding celebrations. Credit: GoFundMe

While Tom Davis and Eleni Vrettos were celebrating their wedding in Cicero, Illinois, a massive explosion leveled their home – leaving them homeless, without insurance, and mourning a heartbreaking loss.

The explosion occurred around 5:00PM on February 16 at the couple’s residence on Central Avenue, where six people lived, per CBS affiliate WBBM-TV.

The blast was so powerful that it not only destroyed their two-story home but also damaged neighboring buildings across the street.

Davis and Vrettos were still celebrating their nuptials when they received the devastating news.

“I ran here in my wedding dress, like down the alley, and was watching from a neighbor’s yard,” Vrettos told WGN-TV. “Everything was just smoke at that point.”

She added: “Obviously, everything is under investigation right now, so we’re just dealing with the aftermath and just grieving. But also, there’s so much more ahead that we’re taking it hour by hour.”

The property was left devastated. Credit: GoFundMe

Authorities confirmed that a body was discovered in the rubble the next day. Initially, reports indicated that a wedding guest – later identified as 31-year-old Anthony Avila-Puebla – had left the reception in his mother’s car and was reported missing.

Shockingly, police now believe Avila-Puebla was not just a victim, but a key figure in the incident.

According to investigators, Avila-Puebla, who was in a relationship with someone living in the house, left the wedding unnoticed and was seen parking his car less than a block from the couple’s home.

Surveillance footage then captured him entering the house – but never coming back out, per News.com.au.

Anthony Avila-Puebla. Credit: Cicero Police Department

For Vrettos, losing her family home was already painful enough—but even more heartbreaking was the loss of her six beloved cats, who were inside when the explosion occurred.

“Now I don’t have a home and on top of it, I don’t have them as my home,” she said. “That’s the most devastating because they’re the ones that give me the comfort through that darkness.”

She added: “My dad passed away a few years ago, so we don’t have the home as a remembrance of him, too. It’s a lot to grieve.”

Despite the overwhelming tragedy, she holds onto hope that her pets may have survived. “I want to see if they’re around. I have a feeling they’re out there,” she told 29News.

The couple’s devastation doesn’t end there – Davis revealed that their home was under renovation at the time, and they were in the process of transferring their home insurance. This means they now have no coverage to help them recover financially from the disaster.

In response, family friend Julissa Martinez started a GoFundMe to support them. The fundraiser, which has already raised more than $62,000, describes the deep significance of the home to the Vrettos family.

“This home was more than just a house – it was where Eleni grew up, where she and Tom had moved in to start their new life together, and where the family had built countless memories over the years,” the fundraiser reads.

Funds are being raised for the couple. Credit: GoFundMe

The page also acknowledges the tragic loss of their cats – Bambi, Graham, Reya, Tucker, Old Boy, and Grey – who “brought comfort, companionship, and joy to their home, making this loss even more heartbreaking.”

While fire officials initially suspected a gas leak, authorities are still investigating what caused the explosion.

So far, no arrests have been made, and officials have yet to confirm if Avila-Puebla’s actions were intentional or accidental.

Meanwhile, the blast didn’t just impact the newlyweds – the explosion caused a neighboring building to catch fire, displacing 11 families in the process.