Complaints Arise About West Haven High-Rise Near Beach

A West Haven high-rise just a block from the beach has become a tower of terror for tenants.

Yesterday, officials from the housing authority and the city government went to Surfside to hear what's wrong with the place and they were still talking a day later about bedbugs, roaches, disgusting hallways, and more.

"There was five or six of us in the elevator, the one that's working," said Ann Zupe, "and it went up and it went boomp and the door opened and all you could see was a big brown door. There was no way to get off it is so a man played with the button and the elevator closed and went up."

Maggie Petruzziello's 92-year-old father lives at Surfside. "I should not have to worry that my father's gonna get stuck on the ninth floor so I want an answer today - what's gonna happen with these elevators?

We contacted the West Haven Housing Authority but did not hear back from the executive director. One of his predecessors, Michael Siwak, pled guilty last year to taking more than a million dollars in bribes from contractors.

"God forbid an emergency - I don't know what to do," said Natisha Pantojas, who lives on the top floor. She's disabled and her mother checks on her all the time.

"And I'm scared that if anything happens to her on the twelfth floor," said Anilda Pantojas, "anything happens to my daughter, they're gonna be in trouble, because she's still my baby."

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