RICHMOND, Va. -- A slew of car break-ins at two different apartment complexes on Richmond's Southside now has some residents on edge.
A spokesperson with Richmond Police confirmed at least 13 vehicle break-ins were reported at Port City Apartments on Richmond Highway Wednesday.
At least half a dozen cars were broken at Miller Lofts at Plant Zero.
Summer Blue and her partner Ernest Jones said they were leaving Miller Lofts Wednesday morning to go to a doctor's appointment when they noticed their rear car window was smashed in, leaving a gaping hole.
Jones said he was in the process of moving at the time, the car filled to the brim with valuable items.
"I had all my kids' clothes in there. I had all of my belongings in there. Like everything is gone. I don't have nothing," he said. "Like, what are we supposed to do as a community?"
"People are on edge now. Everybody is truly on edge because everybody got some truly valuable things taken from them," said Blue said.
Blue and Ernest said Richmond Police responded to reports of break-ins over the phone Wednesday morning. However, Blue said she and several other victims who lived at the property were frustrated with having to give information over the phone. Blue said two officers arrived on scene about three hours after a call was made around 7am Wednesday morning.
Blue also expressed concerns, saying some residents believe firearms may have been stolen out of vehicles in the area.
"We didn't leave," Blue said. "We're going to sit here and wait for y'all to come. And that's the only reason why they ended up coming three hours later, is because we didn't leave. But we shouldn't have to wait this long."
"You get your vehicle broken in, in Richmond, this is what you get," Jones said, holding up an officer's card. "A card and a number. Something. And follow up with that. This is all you get."
A spokesperson with RPD said at the time of the call, the department was responding to at least three different high-priority calls and opted to take information by phone, since there was no active threat at the complex at the time.
Richmond Police have not shared an exact number of how many break-ins or possible car thefts were reported in the Miller Lofts area, but confirmed investigators are responding to every case reported and are looking into the matter.
Blue and Jones said they and several other residents will likely have to fork out thousands of dollars to repair broken windows.
However, those repairs are not their primary concern.
"It's not just a car. It's about safety," Blue said. "It's a safety issue."
CBS 6 did reach out to Miller Lofts to ask about possible security measures or security camera footage but had not yet heard back as of Wednesday evening.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
