Some residents who were forced to leave a luxury high rise in Lower Manhattan after Sandy were shocked to discover items missing in their apartments upon their return.
“I just couldn’t believe it,” said Chris Mirabile, who came back to his apartment at 2 Gold Street and found his collection of 15 autographed baseballs, signed by the likes of Reggie Jackson, Whitey Ford and Derek Jeter, gone, along with an expensive Rolex watch.
Sandy flooded the building, destroying mechanical and electrical systems. Tenants were forced to vacate after the city deemed the building uninhabitable.
The building’s management company, TF cornerstone, assured tenants at the time that security would be a priority.
Cornerstone told NBC 4 New York it had to check that all the apartment’s windows were secured, that the gas was turned off and that perishable items were removed from refrigerators.
“These checks were at all times conducted in an orderly fashion, closely supervised and well documented,” said Cornerstone in a statement. The company added that it was fully cooperating with tenants and law enforcement as the thefts are investigated.
According to police, reports of thefts at buildings evacuated because of Sandy are becoming common.
“This is a phenomenon that we're going to continue to see as people reoccupy their residences and businesses,” said Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.
