Photo by BriAnna Carless
Firefighters from Engine 63 responded quickly on a Saturday night in March to complaints of strong fumes in 4382 Furman Avenue in the Wakefield section of the Bronx.
Residents of the six story building complained of coughing attacks and feeling their faces burning while they were inside their apartments. “I was in my bathroom and I just started coughing like crazy,” said Stacy Ann Davis, a first floor tenant.
The fire chief said the irritating fumes were likely from pepper spray or mace sprayed in the lobby. The fumes had apparently spread into the apartments. But people began to congregate in the lobby, “It was really strange. I heard people coughing so I went outside when I heard the fire trucks to find out what was really going on,” said Santana Roach, another first floor tenant.
EMS responded and treated several of the tenants at the building.
A police investigation is ongoing. It is suspected that mace was sprayed by someone who does not live in the building. Some think it may have been a homeless person. “It is scary to me because anyone could have come in here and sprayed something more dangerous and killed us.” Davis said.
Another tenant, who goes by the name of Keke, doubts the story about mace. She said as soon as she walked through the front door she felt sick. “Right as I came through the door it hit me, I had vomiting and diarrhea instantly. I ran to 1F, because I know the lady there, and she had to give me some water.” She says she was taken to the hospital and given activated charcoal as a treatment. That apparently is a common treatment for a drug overdose. This led her to believe the fumes were a result of crack cocaine being smoked in the building.
Tenants also worry about their vulnerability. They say that their apartment building lacks adequate safety measures. They say that the handle on the lobby door can easily be manipulated so that anyone can get into the building.
“All you have to do is kind of fingle the door and it will open. Sometimes I come home and I don’t even need to use my key because the door is already unlocked. I’ve even seen some homeless people come in here and sleep on the steps.” said Davis. “It’s a safety concern to say the least.”
The building’s landlord, Joseph Balaj refused our request for an interview and declined to comment via a phone call.