‘Additional violation’: uprooted residents looted

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This article was published 26/05/2023 (882 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Displaced residents of a fire-ravaged apartment building in St. James are angry and disgusted after thieves looted at least one empty apartment and stole sentimental belongings.

A tenant fought back tears while she discussed the break-in and jewelry that she discovered was missing from her suite, when she was allowed to return and collect her belongings Thursday.

“It’s an additional violation,” said the woman, who asked to remain anonymous. “It’s just very upsetting to know somebody took advantage of the situation we’re in.”

A watch that she gave to her husband as a wedding present was stolen, along with shoes and a laptop computer, she said.

“That’s what we know so far. We haven’t been able to inventory everything,” she said.

The tenant filed a police report Friday.

She said three suitcases were left behind after they were removed from a closet and filled with belongings.

Someone took a can of soda from a fridge and drank it, she said.

“It’s clear they had been in there a long time,” said the woman, who doesn’t believe security measures were stringent enough at the site near Sturgeon Road and Saskatchewan Avenue.

The woman had tenant insurance. She believes it will cover the financial value of the missing belongings, in addition to items that were lost to the May 20 fire.

She said there was extensive water damage to her third-floor suite from the fire-fighting effort.

She and her husband escaped with their cat shortly after they noticed smoke outside their balcony.

“There were flames pretty much above us. It was terrifying,” the woman said.

Winnipeg police have received reports of “unauthorized” people on the property over the past few days, said spokesman Const. Jason Michalyshen.

He was not aware of any arrests.

An area manager for building owner Weidner Apartment Homes sent an email Thursday to inform residents about burglaries.

The letter, obtained by the Free Press, said there had been evidence of several break-ins over the previous 24 hours, and an intruder was confronted Wednesday night.

“While we don’t know the full scope of the intrusion, it is clear that the goal of the perpetrators was the theft of personal property,” area manager Shanda Deakin wrote. “This is especially disappointing as we know it will compound the already tough situation that the fire has caused for many of our customers.”

Winnipeg-based property restoration company Winmar was contracted to set up security measures the day of the fire, including a fence, a 24-7 watch with one guard on duty and plywood coverings for doors and windows, according to the notice.

“Yet, despite these precautions, thieves were able to access the building even after we increased the number of security guards on the property,” Deakin wrote.

The letter said a Winmar employee had confronted an intruder while working at the building, but the person wasn’t located despite police surrounding the building and searching the area.

Deakin apologized to residents for the circumstances.

Tenants were told they will be able to submit a claim if they believe their belongings were stolen.

Weidman Apartment Homes did not respond to a request for comment.

A Winmar employee referred a Free Press reporter to the site’s project manager, who did not respond to a request for comment.

“I feel violated in a very vulnerable time… It’s just really sad.”–Patty Neely, resident

Pickup trucks belonging to security firm ESM were parked outside the apartment block Friday.

An ESM official said the company took over security at the site Thursday. He declined to comment further.

Patty Neely, who lived on the first floor, didn’t think break-ins would be something to worry about, given the security measures that were promised.

“I feel violated in a very vulnerable time,” she said. “It’s just really sad.”

Neely said she was among the residents who were given two hours to return to their suites and to collect possessions.

“I’m not sure if anything was missing because I didn’t have time to figure it out,” she said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation; a damage estimate has not been released.

Residents have been waiting for more information about the recovery of their possessions and the fate of the building.

The woman whose suite was broken into said tenants were informed their leases have been cancelled.

“We have to find a new place to stay,” she said.

The area manager’s letter informed residents the fourth floor is unsafe and inaccessible.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @chriskitching