Family Victimized by Burglary, Served with Eviction Notice
On Dec. 1, Damaris Medina took an overnight trip to Atlantic City. She came home to find her Collingswood apartment had been cleaned out—right down to the furnace.
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A stunning apartment burglary left a Collingswood woman without Christmas and birthday presents for her daughter, heat and hot water for six days, and coincided with the delivery of an eviction notice from her landlord.
Collingswood police say the theft occurred in the 200 block of Haddon Avenue sometime during the overnight hours of Dec. 1. Damaris Medina, who resides in the apartment with her 11-year-old daughter, was headed down to Atlantic City for an overnight trip.
When the family returned home the next day, they discovered the door on the driveway side of their residence pried open, and called police.
“I looked up the steps; my door was busted in,” Medina said. “Everything in my kitchen was all over the floor. The bags that I had near my kitchen door, everything had been scattered. There was money missing from a cabinet in the kitchen.
“When I made my way towards the living room, I discovered the television was gone, the Xbox, the Kinect, bags of gifts that weren’t wrapped yet,” she said. “All that’s gone. When I entered the premises, my puppy was there, and she was even scared of me.”
According to the police report, the total value of lost property to the renters was $2,600, and also included a Dell laptop, Playstation 3 and an air conditioner condensing unit. The thieves also broke into the basement of the building and, isolating the hot water heater that warms the Medinas’ unit, removed it as well.
'Nobody saw a thing'
What makes the theft more remarkable is that apparently nobody noticed it happening: police say there are no eyewitness accounts of the act.
“I canvassed the whole neighborhood,” said Collingswood Detective Sgt. Guy DeRitis. “Nobody saw a thing. They did it in the dead of night.”
On that same date, police say, someone also gained entry to an unlocked shed on the block and rifled through the contents; nothing was reported to be missing. But nobody saw or heard anything in that incident, either.
“We have had a couple burglaries on that stretch of Haddon Avenue in the last couple weeks,” DeRitis said. “Hers was the first.”
The one hope Medina had for some insight into the crime was a neighbor who has a digital home security system, but police said that those cameras would not have provided a view of her property.
In the meantime, DeRitis said, detectives are processing fingerprints lifted from the scene, and have spoken with scrapyards and video game stores in the area to see if any of the stolen goods were traded in.
“Unfortunately right now, there’s nothing,” he said.
Perhaps worst of all, the Medinas were not carrying renters’ insurance. So the crime had left them with no Christmas and birthday presents, no heat or hot water—and no leads as to the culprits or their goods.
The eviction notice in the mailbox was just icing on the cake.
‘I’ve been trying to help her as much as humanly possible.’
Evan Moss, who owns the property and others in Collingswood, is the Medinas' landlord. He would not comment on his decision to provide them with a 60-day eviction notice.
Medina said that she has had conversations with Moss about how living conditions at the property have made other tenants there uncomfortable.
“At my home, there’s a relative who suffers seizures,” she said, “and there’s times when anxiety levels are high.”
She added that Moss “suggested that there are other people residing there with me,” but said that her brothers have occasionally stayed with her because her home was previously burglarized in 2010.
Still, after this most recent theft, Medina said that Moss told her “You’ll find a place faster than I can provide heat and hot water. It’s time to start over.
“The history of things going on, I guess they’re trying to relate it to this now,” she said.
For his part, Moss said that he cooperated with the Collingswood Fire Department and New Jersey housing authority in making it “as comfortable a situation as I possibly could.”
“There was no heat into the unit, and I didn’t know when I was going to get relief from the insurance company,” he said. “I lost about $6,000 worth of equipment in her unit.
“I’ve been trying to help her as much as humanly possible,” he said.
‘I don’t even know if I can rent around here anymore.’
Medina said that Moss installed a pair of space heaters in the apartment until he could get a new unit installed in the basement. These tripped the breakers, she said, and because Moss had boarded up access to the basement from her unit after the theft, she couldn’t turn them back on.
Boarding up the basement to prevent other break-ins also meant that Moss had to take the Medinas' belongings out, storing them on the porch—which he said was done with her consent.
Medina says she and her daughter had to leave the property at various times until the power could be restored. Eventually, Moss did install a new, permanent replacement heater in the building, Medina said. But she is still in search of a new place to live.
As a Section 8 tenant, however, she doesn’t have as much say in where she ends up. Medina said she’d like to stay in the same town where she’s resided for the last 9 years, and where her daughter attends elementary school. But she doesn’t know whether the program will be able to fulfill her wishes.
“I explained to [Moss] that I wasn’t going to rip my daughter out of school,” Medina said. “I’ve kept her here because it’s very important for her academically, safely; everything. [The program is] trying to get me pulled out so that I can remain here within the county so she can finish school,” she said.
“I don’t even know if I can rent around here anymore,” she said.
Grounds for eviction
Michael Mirne, an Ocean Township attorney who specializes in real estate law, said that there are only 17 reasons for eviction in the state of New Jersey, and that “the grounds for eviction of a Section 8 tenant are the grounds for the eviction of any other tenant.”
Although about “90 percent of evictions” are related to nonpayment of rent, Mirne said. Sub-Part D of NJSA: 2A:18-61.1 describes a commonly cited statute that includes “violation of landlord’s rules and regulations.”
Moreover, he said, the law doesn’t usually allow “equitable defenses” in court—i.e., whether it would pose an undue hardship on the tenant to be evicted—but he did say that a judge could award up to a six-month hardship stay “provided [a tenant] can meet certain conditions [and] as long as the tenant continues to stay current on the rent obligation.”
Medina just wants to keep her daughter enrolled in Collingswood public schools.
“We spoke to the principal because they said they would try for her education to not be interrupted if we had to move,” Medina said. “The principal said that it’s really not the borough’s place to say because they don’t have jurisdiction over the school. We didn’t get too far with the conversation.
“While you’re worrying about all these things, we have suffered in the worst ways,” Medina said. “It could be worse; there could be more.”
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redrum
8:07 am on Monday, December 24, 2012
That's one HECK of a coincidence that someone would break into one person's apt. and also steal the hot water heater and heater connected to THAT particular apt. And another coincidence that she just happens to be getting an eviction notice?!?!?!?!
Mr. BBig
9:05 am on Monday, December 24, 2012
I know this is the holiday season and all, but I think it is Christmas, not April Fools?
When not vacationing in Atlantic City, my daughter and I play XBox and Kinect while surrounded by unwrapped gifts in our taxpayer subsidized apartment.
Oh, and let me put my 11-year old's picture online so i can tug on some heart strings and maybe even have the gifts replaced. I mean it's Christmas, right? And money for rent. The good people of Collingswood will give generously. I'm surprised there is not a P.O. box listed so people know where to send the checks.
Matt Skoufalos
12:49 pm on Monday, December 24, 2012
You're making an overnight trip to Atlantic City sound awful luxurious. And if you had stuff in your house taken in a burglary, would you say you were "surrounded" by it? The girl's birthday was much earlier in the month. Ms. Medina also told me that her daughter's medicine was taken because it was stored in a purse-like bag. People who are going to empty a place down to the bones aren't going to discriminate.
And although that photograph is credited to Ms. Medina, I decided to feature it. What you see in that picture is a little kid who's celebrating a really scaled-down birthday after about a week of being in and out of her home because there was inconsistent heat and hot water there. Are you going to suggest next that it wasn't that bad because we had milder temperatures earlier this month?
I don't think there's anything in this story that asks for people to give anything to the family, nor is there anything they could do to change the fact that she's going to have to find a new place to live.
Suzanne Cloud
10:25 am on Monday, December 24, 2012
Wow, such hard-heartedness from some of these people responding. My advice to the mother. Stay put. Get a kerosene heater so you're not dependent on the landlord for heat. Contact a local homeless advocacy group to get legal representation. Get info from the United Way http://www.efsp.unitedway.org/efsp/website/index.cfm Now is the time to get yourself together and use this time to bring you and your daughter closer. Kids are great at getting their parents through tough times (I've been there, and at Christmas too). All the best - be a survivor and don't let the scrooges get ya down - they have problems MUCH worse than yours.
Collingswoodnative
11:23 am on Monday, December 24, 2012
Call me Grinch or Scooge: They take an overnight trip to AC, stolen while they're gone "...the television was gone, the Xbox, the Kinect, bags of gifts that weren’t wrapped yet,” also "....Dell laptop, Playstation 3 and an air conditioner condensing unit"
AND the apartment is rented as SECTION 8, they have lived here for nine years. All nine years section 8? Suppose section 8 doesn't include insurance on contents of the unit.
They had better things stolen than what I have in my home.
nononsense
12:17 pm on Monday, December 24, 2012
I totally agree with you. There has to be more to this story. You are not a grinch or scrooge just a realist!
Mr. BBig
12:44 pm on Monday, December 24, 2012
I second that response. Maybe Grinch and Scrooge were just realists, too. When it acts like a duck, quacks like a duck .... this is a scam. Let's not provide the mother with avenues and attorneys to help continue her scam.
Ian
11:54 am on Tuesday, December 25, 2012
I hear that.My Wife,13 month old Daughter,and I are scraping by in this economy.We pay pills and I also pay child support every week for my son who's with his mother.Then you have these people with all these luxuries crying poor.It makes me sick.
Shirley
2:03 pm on Saturday, December 29, 2012
We don't know if the unwrapped gifts came from the Dollar Store or the Cherry Hill Mall. The electronics could have been purchased new. They may also have been purchased second-hand or could have been passed down from a family member or a friend. You don't know that their possessions were better than yours.
Deidre
6:02 pm on Monday, December 24, 2012
Maybe if Section 8 was paying my rent I could go on that overnight trip to AC that I've wanted to take for the last year.
jonathan schlagle
2:55 pm on Saturday, December 29, 2012
personally I know that their overnight stay in AC was in a comped room, that they have been planning for months. I have so much more to say. I do have a clear picture of everything that has happened and what is currently going on. Im a neighbor and a friend of several years. And most all of you are heartless and un-educated about this situation and need to keep your shallow opinions to your selves!
redrum
8:46 am on Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Section 8 housing, laptops, X Boxes, flat screen tv's - yup, That's what you call an Entitlement Nation - and you voted for the most extreme leftist version of it it yet again in November
Matt Skoufalos
3:07 pm on Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Glad to see you found the time on Christmas morning to condemn a single mother and an 11-year-old. Very big of you.
Bo
6:06 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012
Jesus Christ, no pun intended but sincerely mad props matt, I just tripped over this, sad to here anyone evicted under those circumstances. I read that line "glad to see you found the time on xmas, and I strained a stomach muscle laughing, even if the laughs were tinged with a little sadness. BUT really What the heck is wrong with some of you people. Just keep laughing at these cold, heartless fools Matt your doing a great job.
redrum
7:42 pm on Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Hey Matt, way to just see one side of the arguement - so much for unbiased reporting - you don't like the conservative response so you bash it - of course, why should anyone expect any different in the U.S. - Freedom of Speech goes to those who own and manipulate the media ALWAYS HAS - "Remember the Maine" comes to mind.........
Matt Skoufalos
7:51 pm on Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Sure, this is just like rallying people to the Spanish-American War. Practically identical.
What about my reporting above gives you any indication of bias, exactly? Because you spew some vile stuff about how people who own a handful of electronics—excuse me, *owned*, they were the victims of a crime, after all—being part of an "entitlement nation," I'm supposed to high-five you?
You're entitled to your free speech; that in and of itself has nothing to do with me as the curator of this site tolerating nonsense in the comments section. You're not a reporter, and your feedback isn't based on any news-gathering. I let your ignorant comment stand. Enjoy reading it. You're not being suppressed.
redrum
8:58 pm on Tuesday, December 25, 2012
I see, my comment is "ignorant", but you are unbiased? "Tolerating nonsense" makes you unbiased? Seems to me you have your opinion clearly set. I am "not a reporter" - hmm, your "article" on a internet blog doesn't exactly make you a Pulitzer Prize winner there homeboy. And how does my not being a "qualified reporter" such as yourself make me more distant to the subject at hand? I see the facts as this - a women who is in such financial distress that she qualifies for Section 8 housing - for almost a decade. Yet somehow she can afford laptops, Xbox games, flat screen tv's, etc but no renters insurance. I paid $18 last month for it, if she can afford all that stuff and a night on the town at the AC casinos, I think she could afford it as well. Now compound that with the fact that she is subject to eviction?! But I'm the bad guy; huh? Now please tell where I can get me one of those there reporter licenses !!!!!
redrum
9:06 pm on Tuesday, December 25, 2012
know what, I all ready forgot it was Christmas - and the fact that you and I are going back and forth on this today means we are both not paying attention to the ideals of the holiday, regardless of faith, creed, etc - we agree that we disagree, yes?!?!
try to enjoy the rest of the season
Festivus for the Rest of Us !!!!!
Kim R.
11:27 pm on Tuesday, December 25, 2012
It's a sad situation -- but renter's insurance only costs me $13 a month. With all of the nuttiness surrounding renting an apartment, I don't even consider it optional. In fact, here at the Heights, proof of renter's insurance is required in order to renew the lease.
J Verz
11:53 am on Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Just throwing my 2 cents in, but just because they have (had) more luxury items than I do when I don't even qualify for section 8 doesn't mean they're taking advantage of the system. How do you know family and friends didn't gift them these items?
Jen
9:42 pm on Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Plenty of Section 8 families have many luxuries, including furnished homes. But this is no reason to sit and bash a woman and her child for a crime that was against them. And did anyone stop to think that maybe this overnight stay in AC was a comp room? Leave them alone.
redrum
7:29 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012
last time I checked, you have to blow LOTS of MONEY at the casino to get a "comp" - so why is Miss Section 8 getting a comped room?!
Rob Burrough
11:09 am on Thursday, December 27, 2012
I done gotted me a real ginuine reporter's license online, came in a BOGO offer with my Universal Life Church of Modesto, CA minister's license, so you knows I'm qualified to leave a valid comment. Previous comments make it sound like the night in AC was confirmed as a night out at Revel or Club Mixxxxxxxxxxx. Perhaps it was, or perhaps she has family in Atlantic City. Yes, surprisingly, there are homes and residents in AC as well as crappy buffets. From what I can remember, casinos really do not take too kindly to 11 year olds playing baccarat. Oh, and I love when people consider Obama to be the most extreme leftist ever.
redrum
7:30 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012
name be a bigger one - he's up there with fdr, jfk, and lbj.................
Rob Burrough
9:44 am on Friday, December 28, 2012
Clinton. Any Democrat in recent history is more left leaning than Obama.
Obama's policies are right of center. In fact, he is almost as far right as Romney. Obama has surrounded himself with conservative advisors and key figures — many from previous administrations, and an unprecedented number from the Trilateral Commission. He also appointed a former Monsanto executive as Senior Advisor to the FDA. He has extended Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, presided over a spiralling rich-poor gap and sacrificed further American jobs with recent free trade deals. Trade union rights have also eroded under his watch. He has expanded Bush defense spending, droned civilians, failed to close Guantanamo, supported the NDAA which effectively legalises martial law, allowed drilling and adopted a soft-touch position towards the banks that is to the right of European Conservative leaders. Taking office during the financial meltdown, Obama appointed its principle architects to top economic positions. I list these because many of Obama's detractors absurdly portray him as either a radical liberal or a socialist, while his apologists, equally absurdly, continue to view him as a well-intentioned progressive, tragically thwarted by overwhelming pressures.
redrum
3:34 pm on Saturday, December 29, 2012
Hey, whut a dang co-in-see-dance, I got me wun o' dem dar minister licenses, 2. An' cum ta think of it, I dunn rote for the hi sckool newzpaper an' yearbook - is ah still kwallEfied to be a reporter?
Eric Wolff
4:51 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012
Also speaking about the acquisition of the electronics, does anyone anywhere show proof that this family bought all of the items themselves? How do you know what of them were not gifts? Often, when a family is in financial distress and receiving income-based assistance, it can get sketchy for relatives and friends to give them money directly. Instead, these helpers provide support by way of goods and other non-monetary gifts, including things like video games, computers, and other such electronics,
Once more, another case of those railing blindly against the "entitled". Anyone receiving any governmental financial aid is broad-brushed as some kind of societal leech that deserves any ill fate that befalls them -- as if whatever circumstances that put them in the position of needing the aid is not karma enough for whatever made them such evil beings.
Eric Wolff
4:51 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012
And I concur about the mischaracterization of the Atlantic City trip. Nowhere does it state the purpose of and activity during the overnight stay. Someone sees "Atlantic City" and automatically registers "DO AC" advertisements in their brains. Were it reported they had been to a non-gaming-adjacent locale, or even the place from where they returned left out of the article, this would have been a nonstarter. AC is ever so much more than casinos, and as noted, many people live in the city who have nothing to do with the gambling industry there.
If there is anything questionable or nefarious about the family in this story, may the proper authorities effectively investigate and take whatever official action is deemed appropriate. Until then, we are still in a nation where innocent until proved guilty is the law of the land.
redrum
7:36 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012
fine, I've seen enough comments to say perhaps she was visiting family. So let's go back to the facts - it is a HUGE coincidence that this lady took one day out of the entire calendar to leave her apt. And that is the very same day someone decided to break-in upstairs, make a quick robbery; and then go down into the basement and make a S-L-O-W robbery of a water heater and a gas or oiled fired heater.... Both items are extremely heavy, and require a good number of tools and a fair amount of knowledge and effort to remove without flooded the basement or setting off a gas leak. Mr Reporter, what is the landlord's connection to political factions in the area? I've seen plenty of abuse of power from various town employees at every level and in every dept.
redrum
11:35 am on Friday, December 28, 2012
Odd - I seem to recall the Federal Budget was BALANCED during the Clinton era.
I also recall him trying to make in-roads into health care reform on a vastly SMALLER scale.
Rob Burrough
12:35 pm on Friday, December 28, 2012
And this was due to many factors - not two or one, but zero wars. Also higher taxes - the trademark of any evil democrat...
MJT530
10:40 am on Saturday, December 29, 2012
Times are a changin lol.. the higher taxes coming in 2013 will now be the evil trademark of the Republicans.
jonathan schlagle
3:04 pm on Saturday, December 29, 2012
Some of these comments are incredibly disturbing! This i s a single mother with a wonderful little girl! She is one of the most selfless human beings I have EVER met! No one will ever know what this woman has endured
redrum
3:36 pm on Saturday, December 29, 2012
If you so much; then why are you not sharing with all us un-enlightened townsfolk, with our torches and pitchforks chanting outside her door ?!?!?!
jonathan schlagle
3:44 pm on Saturday, December 29, 2012
Also, no one mentioned that it was the side door that was broken into! This door faces the neighbors that share a driveway. That night there were FOUR cars in the driveway!
Matt Skoufalos
4:11 pm on Saturday, December 29, 2012
Gang, if you have any tips or news related to this case, I would encourage you to forward them to Det. Sgt. Guy DeRitis at the Collingswood Detective Bureau: (856) 854-1901. Otherwise, let's please refrain from accusing people in the comments here.
Collingswoodnative
11:06 am on Sunday, December 30, 2012
Matt, is this how Matt Drudge got his start?
Joe crack
12:00 am on Monday, December 31, 2012
I honestly am remaining neutrel, but my 2 nephews live off Section 8 for over 10 years now. I am sure they have more then some kids with parents making 6 figures or higher. That is because I have no kids, n there mom barely survives each month, SO I BUY THEM EVERYTHING THEY POSSIBLY WANT. I PHONES, NEW JORDANS EVERY MONTH, DIAMOND EARINGS, THEY ASK... I BUY... SO JUST BC HER DAUGHTER HAD AN X BOX OR FLAT SCREEN, DNT MEAN CRAP.. IT COULD BE A RENT A CENTER FLAT SCREEN THAT COSTS TEN DOLLARS A WEEK... (N BC SOME 1 ALWAYS HAS TO CHIME IN ABOUT GRAMMER N SPELLING, I DNT CARE OF I SPELLED A WORD WRONG OR DID NOT PUT MY PERIOD N COMMAS IN THE RIGHT SPOT. PEOPL CRACK ME UP, WHEN NOTHIN INTELLIGENT TO SAY, THEY WILL COME OUT WIT "LEARN HOW TO SPELL")
catherine a marks
5:37 pm on Friday, January 4, 2013
MS.MEDINA YOU MUST NOT HAVE READ WHAT I WROTE.I AM THE ONLY HOUSE THAT HAS A DIGTAL HOME SECURITY SYSTEM ON THAT BLOCK YOUR SIDE OF THE STREET AS WELL AS MINE.I LIVED THERE OVER 20 YRS AND I STILL OWN THE HOME AND I KNOW THE NAMES WHO OWNS,RENTS AND IS SECTION 8 ON THAT BLOCK BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET.AS I SAID BEFOR,I DO NOT KNOW U YOUR DAUGHTER OR YOUR "BROTHER" THAT LIVED WITH YOU PERSONALLY,BUT I DO KNOW THE NEIGHBORHOOD!!!!! AS FOR THE CONCERNED PARTY THAT TRIED TO ASSIST YOU,HE IS THE ONE WHO PUT THE SYSTEM IN SO HE KNOWS FULL WELL THE CAMERA'S DO NOT SHOW ACROSS THE STREET.MS.MEDINA YOU HAVE LIVED THERE 9 YEARS,MAYBE ITS TIME TO GET TO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS!! I HAVE NO DOUBT C.P.D WILL GET TO THE TRUTH.
redrum
8:29 pm on Friday, January 4, 2013
As mr Skoufalos has pointed out - I am NOT A REPORTER. So please forward your comments and capital letter violations to the Reporter in Charge of this article. I will in the future find a program in the back of a magazine or online in which I can get my "reporter's license" but until then, please go bother mr Skoufalos, as he apparently the only person in the world that is a "professional reporter"
Matt Skoufalos
9:18 pm on Friday, January 4, 2013
I certainly didn't say that I was the only professional reporter. I just said that you aren't one. You really don't read well. And you have very flawed ideas about the things to which commenting on a website entitles you. Stop acting like this if you'd like to be allowed to continue posting here.
Matt Skoufalos
9:31 pm on Friday, January 4, 2013
O.K. gang, comments on this story are being shut down. There are too many unfounded accusations. We'll be back with a follow-up.