Residents in seven different condos at the Imperial Point Collinades Condominiums in Fort Lauderdale were out of their homes this week due to them being tented for termites. But it was another kind of pest who struck that now has police investigating.
“When I came back yesterday, I saw my neighbor and asked her why all the police are here,” said resident Susan Micolo.
The condos were tented to be fumigated for termites until Wednesday afternoon. Residents were told they couldn’t come back inside until Thursday. During a window between Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, burglars disregarded the tent and hit seven different units.
The burglars got into the building through an open ground floor window, went to the second floor, made their way into the attic, cut a hole through the drywall and dropped down into each of the apartments.
The thieves got away with items like iPads, televisions, and even blankets. Denise De Martini, the office administrator for the complex said she feels for the victims.
“It’s a violation on all of us,” De Martini said. “These people are your neighbors. I mean, they’re friends in a lot of instances.”
De Martini said that security was on patrol and circling the building when the break-ins happened. The security guard called police when he saw an open window. She believes the burglars had planned out the crime ahead of time.
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“It's shocking that it's so far in the back of the property that it wasn't like someone was driving around looking for something; they had been tented,” De Martini said.
Despite the crime, residents like Micolo said she’s a bit scared, but isn’t moving out calling the condominium complex, “great.”
If you have any information about the crime, call Fort Lauderdale Police or Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477).
