COLUMBUS, Ohio — It's been more than a week since a fire broke out at a Bexley Commons apartment building on the city's east side, displacing the 63 residents who lived there.
The damage to the building required the power and utilities to be shut off, meaning the tenants needed to find another place to stay just two days before Christmas, until repairs and inspections could be made.
Now, residents like Damon Blanchard are livid after multiple break-ins has led to a loss of valuable property.
"I'm extremely frustrated. My belongings, basically, all of my belongings are gone,” Blanchard said.
Blanchard said his apartment has been broken into four times in the eight days the building has been vacant. Monday afternoon, Blanchard said he found the board covering the window to his unit on the first floor had once again been damaged.
"This time I had to call a friend, my handyman friend, to actually put the board on because I couldn't get a hold of anybody because of the holiday,” Blanchard said.
Blanchard said the first night his apartment was broken into, the thieves kicked his air conditioner in.
"Ripped the screen off and kicked in a 100-pound air conditioner off the wall and climbed in through the wall,” Blanchard said.
Since then, Blanchard has continued to take videos and pictures on his phone each time he’s noticed additional damage to his property.
"My TV is gone… just about all my electronics, my social security card, my old driver's license, jewelry,” Blanchard said.
Blanchard said all that’s been left behind is his clothes and his daughter’s toys. The tenants were told security would be at the scene protecting the property, but Blanchard said he’s been forced to take matters into his own hands.
"I sit out here for about four or five hours a night,” Blanchard said.
After living at the complex for nearly 20 years, Blanchard said he’s waiting to be allowed to get the rest of his belongings out, so he can move elsewhere.
"This situation it was just waiting to happen, and they knew, and they were warned," Blanchard said.
10TV reached out to the Columbus Division of Police for more information about the break-ins and are waiting to hear back.