INDIANAPOLIS — Residents at the Irvington Lofts apartments tell 13News one of its two buildings has been without power since Sunday afternoon. It adds to a growing list of frustrations some residents have with management.
"One of the people here has heard that it's going to be weeks, another person says a week and, of course, AES and the apartment says, 'Tonight, tonight,'" resident Suzanne Wilson said. "I don't believe any of it."
Wilson has lived at Irvington Lofts for a decade, about as long as she's been dealing with multiple myeloma cancer.
"I get dizzy in the dark, and I'm afraid I'm going to fall, and my emergency system is out," Wilson said. "I have ADT, and it's out, so I don't even have that help right now."
Sometime after the 13News crew left, Wilson's fears came to fruition.
"I went into the bathroom, which is completely dark. It's cave dark," Wilson said. "I tried to sit down, and I slid because I only hit about a quarter of the seat. I slid down and was trapped between the tub and the toilet," she said.
She was trapped there until one of her neighbors returned from getting her some food and he called 911. The hospital released her, but she's still in pain.
"My rib cage is sore, and I have a lot of bruising there. My shoulder to ankle hurts," Wilson said.
While Wilson recovers from her fall, her neighbors are also trying to get by the best they can in the dark.
"It’s like camping," resident David Risser said. "I got candles and battery-operated stuff everywhere."
Risser said this adds to a long list of issues he's seen with management in the three years he's lived here.
"It just never ends. There’s always something," Risser said. "We either don’t have heat, we don’t have A/C in, usually, the coldest or hottest times of the year."
The building's management told 13News an AES transformer blew and caused damage to its electrical panel.
In a statement, they said:
"I am reaching out to you regarding the situation at Irvington Lofts Apartment. I work with the management company that manages Irvington Lofts. On Sunday, October 22 at approximately 2:15 AES Indiana had a transformer that blew and caused our electrical panel to have damage. We have diligently been working on this since Sunday. The electrical contractor that we have hired has ordered the parts needed to restore the electric, however the parts are unfortunately 5 to 7 days out. Our residents are our priority, and we are doing everything we can to resolve this quickly."
Signs around the property echo this message to residents.
"Yeah, they say that every day for four days now," Wilson said.
She hopes management needs to be held accountable.
"They're just terrible," Wilson said. "They don't do anything, they don't respond to anybody and if they do, they lie to us. I have no reason to tell a lie now. I'm just saying, that's what happens."
AES told 13News the fire department directed them to disconnect power to the building after faulty equipment caught fire.
They said in a statement:
"On Sunday, October 22, AES Indiana was directed by the Indianapolis Fire Department Battalion Chief to disconnect power to Irvington Lofts after IFD responded to a call about smoke caused by faulty equipment. AES crews noted that the equipment shorted out, caught fire and was no longer capable of serving the apartment. Once the customer makes the necessary repairs and passes an electrical inspection by the City of Indianapolis Code Enforcement our crews can safely restore power to this customer."
All residents can do is wait for the lights to come on.
"Do something, please," Wilson said. "Get all this over with, and get the other stuff fixed, too. It's just crazy."
Until then, she's going to rely on this flashlight and her neighbors.
"I've got to be grateful for what I got and the people around me because it's all I have," Wilson said.