Since The Lofts of Kennesaw began moving in residents on Aug. 11, incidents of theft, damage to property, underage alcohol consumption, burglary, sexual assault and rape have been reported.
On Sept. 9 a male entered three separate apartments stating he was from Georgia State and was lost. The male is suspected of stealing an iPhone from one apartment and sexually assaulting the female resident of another apartment.
Based on Cobb County Police reports, the suspect is a black male around six feet tall, between the ages of 20 and 25. The suspect was not identified and has not been found, however, Property Manager Jarrett Turner said this incident required a serious response and there haven’t been any more instances since police were involved.
“We actually had detectives and heightened patrol,” Turner said. “I think we had 20-something officers out here the day after and the weekend after. We sent out a letter to all residents letting them know they need to lock their doors.”
Resident of The Lofts and junior marketing student at KSU, Jennifer Kimling, moved in the day the complex opened and said she feels safe.
“The only problems we have are those immature college students that like to kick in fire extinguisher cases, break the exit signs,” Kimling said. “One person decided to drive into the sensor gate to get into the parking deck.”
An exclusive investigation by The Sentinel on Oct. 6 found that the Lofts parking deck had numerous security cameras. However, both exit gates were left open and one of the two entrance gates was broken and left up.
Turner said the back gate was broken during a hit and run and necessary replacement parts have been ordered. Turner also said he turned over video evidence to Cobb PD and the situation is being handled there.
The Lofts assistant manger, Angela Hale, said when issues occur management first talks with the resident and their parents to try to resolve the issue. Hale said two Cobb County police officers live on-site and a third officer is on the property Thursday through Sunday.
“I love the lofts. When we first moved in it was really crazy, it was new to everyone. The only way to really describe it was like spring break, every single night,” Kimling said. “Now it has calmed down so much because management has cracked down and police patrolled for a little bit, and still do from time to time.”
Another resident of The Lofts moved in with her 2-year-old child and now faces the threat of eviction.
A civil action lawsuit was filed Oct. 5 against Capstone Properties LLC, the managing corporation responsible for The Lofts of Kennesaw. The Plaintiff cited the The Lofts in violation of the Fair Housing Act and US Department of Housing and Urban Development standards.
“We’re not trying to violate HUD. We just want to do the right thing for all the residents,” Turner said. “We’re trying to make sure it’s a fair living environment for all the college students.”
The Plaintiff and their attorney declined comment.