On the surface, John J Ashton Tower in Willimantic seems secure. You need a key fob to enter the front door and there's a security camera in the lobby, but residents say it's all a deception and they are asking for more security , especially in the wake of a homicide earlier this month.
The key fob system breaks quite often, the door is propped open by a rug and the security camera doesn't work, they said.
"I'm afraid to be living there, but I can't afford to be living anywhere else. I'm 70-years-old," Essie Baker said.
That fear grew when Baker's friend was found dead inside his home in the building earlier this month.
Police called the death of 73-year-old William Alvarado a homicide.
"Especially not knowing why they would kill such a sweet, innocent guy, it makes you concerned even more," said Lorri Vilorio, who has relatives living in Ashton Tower.
On Wednesday night residents and their family members expressed that concern to the Willimantic Housing Authority and asked for better security.
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"Something needs to be done to protect them, especially while this case is being investigated," said Nancy Martinez Fuentes, who has family living in the complex.
"It's concerning that the residents feel this way," said Kim Haddad, the executive director of the Willimantic Housing Authority. "We've hired security to do patrols and stay at the building for periods of time."
Residents said they're hoping for even more, particularly security cameras, and it's a suggestion the Willimantic Police Department brought up at the meeting as well.
With that in mind, the board approved the installation of cameras. Haddad said they should be in place in the next few weeks and promised to do even more.
It's an important step to ease the minds of residents who believe they won't feel truly safe until the case is solved.
"It could happen to anyone and it scares everyone in the building," Vilorio said.
Police said there is an active and ongoing investigation into the homicide of Alvarado and they encourage anyone who knows something about the case to give them a call.
The Housing Authority will meet with Willimantic's police chief next week to go into detail about the steps they can take to secure all their buildings. After that, a public meeting with residents, the Willimantic Housing Authority and police will take place.
