Cleveland tenants share safety fears after attack at apartment building: ‘I thought I was gonna die’

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Elderly tenants of a Cleveland apartment building say they are worried about their safety.

One woman says she was attacked and robbed moments after getting home, and she feels it could have been prevented.

“I thought I was gonna die,” said tenant Valorie Gorden.

Gorden remembers the day she was yanked to the ground and robbed like it was yesterday.

It happened back in January, just moments after walking through the Mt. Sinai Apartments’ front doors.

Cleveland police never found the person who did it, Gorden says, and she blames her building’s lack of security.

Gorden isn’t the only one who has been targeted by thieves.

Another woman, Tonya Adams, said thieves came right into her home.

She ended up installing a doorbell surviellance camera to better protect herself.

These tenants say it has been more than a decade since cameras have worked, and management has ignored their cries to step up security.

So the 19 News tried team ourselves.

Active Residential Management Services told us they’re aware of the security issues and they’ve been working for years to fix it.

In fact, they say they were just approved through United States Department of Housing and Urban Development to get working cameras and part-time security, after years of trying.

“Our main objective is to make sure our residents are getting serviced,” said a representative with Active Residential Management Services.

Finally some answers for everyone at the Mt. Sinai Apartments, and hopefully some much-needed protection, soon.

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