‘I feel like I’m sitting here waiting to die’ No air conditioning for hours, roaches, mold; seniors want changes to Santa Ana apartments

By Jon Kipper

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    ST. ANN, Missouri (KMOV) — The air conditioning and running water cut out at a St. Ann senior living complex during the area’s hottest week of the year.

Residents said the water and air conditioning shut off Tuesday evening, and it was down for well over 12 hours.

“I slept with my door open and I just prayed nobody came in on me,” said Laquisha Thomas-Ebegbode.

Seniors with serious health conditions had to try and find a way to fend off the scorching temperatures.

“The building was too hot,” said Sydney Harden.

Harden was able to crash at a friend’s place to wait out his hot 14th-floor apartment. His heart condition does not allow him to be anywhere above 85 degrees.

“Heat rises, so my apartment is too hot to be there and when I try to stand up, I was getting dizzy and lightheaded,” said Harden.

News 4 went into the facility called Santa Ana Apartment Complex around 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday.

“It’s very stuffy,” said Charles Smotherson.

And finally, the water and air conditioning had been turned back on, for most of the complex.

Around 6:15 p.m., one apartment on the 11th floor had the AC on high, and yet the temperature in the room was well over 80 degrees.

Roaming around we found other issues, like mold.

“I’m still living with mold on my AC unit blowing the mold into my home,” said Barbara Cassidy.

We went inside Barbara Cassidy’s unit and found mold in multiple spots.

And she wasn’t the only resident with mold, as it appears some recent flooding added to the issue.

“It has flooded out, last week. The mold is growing tremendously in my closet,” said Johnetta Caldwell.

And other creatures we found inside units.

“The roaches I still have,” said Patricia Gardner.

News 4 reached out to Eagle Point Companies, a company based in Maine, that runs the Santa Ana senior living facility.

We also called the local management number for the complex itself. We still haven’t heard back.

Walking through the facility we saw ceiling tiles missing all over and we’re told there was also a kitchen fire on Tuesday in one unit, and some residents said they never even heard the alarm.

All of this has caused serious mental health issues for some residents.

“I’m 56 years old. I feel like I’m sitting here waiting to die,” said Caldwell.

News 4 spoke with over a dozen people. Almost all of them complained that the employee that manages the complex does not treat the residents with respect.

“They do nothing here for us. They take our money, they treat us like they’re inmates instead of human beings,” said Cassidy.

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