Residents still not allowed into homes after roof collapse

Building manager says work is about 90 percent complete

NORTH MIAMI, Fla. – Residents of an apartment complex in North Miami who were forced out of their homes Thursday after the roof collapsed have not yet been allowed to return to their homes.

"Ninety percent of the apartments in the building are ready," said building manager Robertaud Toussaint

Work continues but residents are still waiting to get back into their homes.

Crumbling plaster and flooded hallways made the city condemn the building and while the roof has reportedly been repaired, work continues on the air conditioning units and elevator.

City officials say until that work is complete residents cannot safely move back in. City code enforcement inspectors have been on site for much of the day and residents have been seen coming and going but none of the 200 residents are living inside.

To add insult to injury, at least two residents told Local0 that they left their apartments locked, but when they came back on Thursday, they were unlocked and some of there property had been stolen.

"We locked the door but they opened it and they stole our stuff and this is not fair," said Mitkanuma Luma.

This woman says collectables worth thousands of dollars were pilfered from her apartment after she evacuated, but the building manager says that is just not true.

"We have the security guards escort them to their unit. Nobody is allowed to go by themselves," Toussaint.

It is not yet clear when the residents will be allowed to return to their apartments.