More Than a Dozen Vehicles Vandalized and Broken Into in ‘Luxury' Dallas Apartments

In Dallas, a group of tenants are worried after more than a dozen vehicles were vandalized and broken into. Neighbors said they are frustrated by the crimes that happened over the weekend at The Gabriella Apartments along Cantegral Street north of Deep Ellum.

Leah Easterwood recently finished moving into her new apartment.

“I've been here for about three weeks. I moved in the end of April,” Easterwood said.

Her restful weekend was shattered by trespassers.

“It has not been good. My car was broken into,” Easterwood said. “Nothing was stolen out of the vehicle, which is odd. But they did bust out one of my windows. So, it's going to cost me about $400 to replace the window.”

Easterwood parked her car in the resident parking garage Saturday afternoon.

“The gate is at level three, and it's just a metal,” Easterwood said. “You're supposed to have a parking sticker that allows you into the garage or a toll tag. But there is a slight delay when the gate opens. So, someone would be able to technically get in behind you if they timed it correctly.”

However, Easterwood was not aware of the vandalism nor that she was a victim until she received a message on her social media account.

“I actually found out through Instagram. Someone had tagged me in a post, which was a TikTok that went viral, and they were jokingly asking, ‘Oh my gosh, did your car get broken into?’ And I walked out to the garage and saw my car. You know, the window had been busted,” Easterwood said.

The TikTok was made by her neighbor, Ashley Cormier.

"I've lived here for almost two years now,” Cormier said.

Cormier said this is not the first incident of vehicle vandalism she has witnessed or been a victim of.

"I actually personally myself have had a vehicle stolen from this parking garage. This was back in March of 2022. We did file a police report with that," Cormier said. "My storage unit has been broken into. Multiple people's vehicles have been broken into prior to this. All have been addressed to management via email or phone. It just seems that our voices go unheard."

According to the Dallas Police Department, there have been 13 burglary motor vehicle and five criminal mischief offenses reported at The Gabriella in the past 12 months. However, this latest string has yet to be assigned to a detective.

In an email sent to residents today, management said they will add patrols for more visibility.

In a statement to NBC 5, Greystar Properties said:

“A series of car break-ins and vandalism occurred at the community after hours, when our on-site office was closed.  We sent out a resident notice on Monday after we were able to gather further information about these incidents from residents and the police.  We are currently assisting the police with their investigation and will update residents as we get more information from local authorities.”

However, residents want permanent changes.

“We've offered 'Hey, raise everybody's rent a little bit to help pay for a security guard or to help pay for a better gate,'” Cormier said. “It's definitely frustrating. I never know if I'm safe.”

"They basically told us to keep our doors locked with high valuables," Easterwood said. "The majority of all of our cars were locked and they didn't take any valuables. So, I don't think this is going to stop the issue. I would like to see better security. The cameras in the garage don't even work, so why do we have them? I think we should amp up some type of security."

However, Easterwood along with other neighbors are considering moving and warning others.

“I don’t feel safe here, and I am considering breaking my lease,” Easterwood said.