Indy's North Side Apartment Complex Boarded Up Amid Crime Surge and Squatter Concerns

An abandoned apartment complex near 29th Street and Capitol Avenue in Indianapolis has been boarded up following concerns about violent crime and squatters. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) will now enforce criminal trespassing at the site.

"It was chaos. Deaths, prostitution, drugs, just all messed up," said a resident of the house. "There was no running water or nothing here, so it's considered an abandoned house, but it was my home."

The same resident reported that her 16-year-old son's father, Charles Arnold Jr., was shot and killed at the apartment complex.

"It hurt a lot of people because he was loved," she said.

The building has been the site of at least three shootings since July. Neighbors have expressed concerns about the violence and squatters taking over the property.

"I'm feeling distressed. I'm going crazy. I've been having panic attacks," Jessica Hughes said, who used to live in one of the units. She claimed she was kicked out by the building's management without being given sufficient notice.

IMPD Commander Matthew Thomas acknowledged that some people may have been taken advantage of and led to believe false information about the property.

"In this case, if people were believing they were paying rent, it wasn't going to the property owner, and we have offered to make fraud reports in those circumstances,” Commander Thomas said.

Commander Thomas emphasized that no one should have been living in the building. The department has now closed it down after multiple visits and a timeline established with the property owner.

"We need to be compassionate with anyone who's living in a situation, so we bring in additional resources to help with that and provide alternate locations, which we hope are to much higher standards than they were experiencing," Commander Thomas said.

The police encourage neighbors to call 911 if they see anyone on the property. Those affected by the closure can contact IMPD's North District for assistance.