When 95-year-old Diane Morton returned to her Watermark apartment in Westwood one recent afternoon, someone rummaged through her drawers and found diamond earrings, bracelets, pearls, expensive watches and branded items. I realized that I had stolen my handbag.
“I felt violated. I felt raped,” Morton told the I-Team. “These were gifts from my late husband and had sentimental value.”
Morton said the thieves made off with $200,000 in her belongings, but there was no sign of forced entry into her apartment.
“It had to be an inside job. Someone must have given him the key or let him into my apartment,” Morton said.
Surveillance footage from the robbery obtained by the I-Team shows Morton getting into the elevator to go to lunch when a masked man carrying a backpack exits the elevator.
Other residents spotted the suspicious man and alerted building management, who claimed to be an air conditioner repairman. They told him to leave.
The robbery at Morton’s apartment was the fourth theft reported to the Los Angeles Police Department in the past two years at the Watermark senior apartment complex in Westwood.
“These types of crimes occur very frequently and are often perpetrated by staff members,” said Maura Gibney of California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR), an advocacy group for the elderly.
Such was the case at Leisure Vale Assisted Living in Glendale, where police arrested 28-year-old employee Jesus Leyva in October and charged him with stealing credit cards from the rooms of seven residents. did.
Levia has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of theft from an elderly person and is out on bail.
His alleged crimes against residents of assisted living facilities are familiar to senior citizen advocates.
CANHR’s Maura Gibney said: “Not only are older people more likely to be targeted, but they may also have things that are worth money.”
Some luxury buildings, like the Watermark in Westwood, require visitors to check in at the front desk, have 24-hour security, and have gated garages to call visitors. , boasts strict security.
However, on two occasions, the I-Team successfully entered the building, rode elevators, and ascended and descended floors without being stopped or questioned.
“I think the security at Watermark is completely inadequate,” said victim Diane Morton. “They have to step up security.”
The I-Team asked Watermark to answer questions about the apparent security lapses and the robbery at Morton’s apartment.
A company spokesperson denied this, saying in an email: “The safety and well-being of our residents is paramount in everything we do and we take any safety concerns seriously…While we cannot comment on ongoing investigations, we is committed to adhering to high standards’ in our operations. ”
Diane Morton said the building has not informed her of any robbery investigation and is considering legal action.
