MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis man says he is fed up with the lack of security at his apartment complex in the Medical District after he was robbed and stabbed last weekend.
He tells WREG he and several other residents at Blair Tower on Washington Avenue have complained over and over again about problems at the building, but nothing’s being done.
A week later, Foued Saeidi is still battered and bruised after the attack.
“No warning. He didn’t tell me to give him no money or anything – just right away, he stabbed me,” he said.
Saeidi owns a store downtown and was coming home from work around 1 a.m. Sunday when it happened.
“I parked the car, I’m ready to get my gatherings, like my bags and stuff, and somebody opened the door and stabbed me,” Saeidi said. “I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe what was happening.”
He fought back by kicking the man, but eventually gave in and threw his money bag, which was filled with hundreds of dollars in cash, to the ground.
“I’m friendly, everybody likes me, I have no problem with nobody, and I’ve never had this happen,” Saeidi said. “I can’t believe this has happened to me.”
He thinks the suspect slipped through a broken security gate, which he says he’s complained about repeatedly. A sign on the gate says the building is protected by video surveillance, but Saeidi says management told detectives the cameras don’t even work.
“I want them to fix the cameras, fix the gate,” he said. “I want to be safe in here and everybody be safe in this building.”
Saeidi also says the complex is supposed to be patrolled by a security guard at all times, but he rarely sees one.
“They have no security here watching the building,” he said.
In the past month, five other robberies have been reported within a quarter mile of Saeidi’s building, including four Saturday night.
He says he’s angry, and so are his neighbors.
“Everybody in this building they have problems with the management,” Saeidi said. “We want security here – somebody who can watch the people come in and out.”
Police haven’t made any arrests.
WREG tried getting in touch with the property management for their side, but they haven’t gotten back to us.