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Broken Elevator Traps Elderly And Disabled Residents In Apartments

YUBA CITY (CBS13) — Dozens of seniors and residents with disabilities feel trapped in their own homes after the elevator in their Yuba City apartment complex has been broken for days.

Maxine Schweizer has to climb three flights of stairs to get to her apartment. She stops and takes breaks along the way.

"I'm weak, my legs aren't as strong anymore so it's hard for me to go up and down," Schweizer said. "I just have to sit and catch my breath."

She's not the only one who's struggling. Approximately 70 elderly and disabled residents live in the Sutter Village apartments. They say the only elevator for the three-story building has been out of order since last week.

Residents say city firefighters have been stopping by daily to check on them. Some people have even been dropping off food and other supplies.

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Katy Willis is a quadriplegic and uses a wheelchair. She has not been able to leave home since the elevator broke.

"I'm trapped here on the third floor doing nothing," Willis said.

Willis said there's been problems with the elevator since it first broke Memorial Day weekend.

"Then it broke down two days later, again and then it broke down a month later, and then it broke down again, and now we're on the fifth time," Willis said.

She said the building managers have not been responsive to her request for help.

"Nobody can get ahold of anybody to find out what is going on, why the elevator isn't being repaired, and why they left us trapped here," Willis said. "They don't understand that this is an emergency and you are putting us in danger by doing this."

The building's owner did not respond to CBS13's request for comment Monday. So for now, residents just hope the building is taking steps to make repairs soon.

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