Fire survivors at Tower Point Condos face break-ins and safety concerns as crews clear debris and residents try to recover.
SAN ANTONIO — After a fire forced families from their homes, residents at Tower Point Condominiums say the danger isn’t over.
Neighbors report break-ins and thefts in the days following Saturday night’s fire, including one incident in which a woman woke up to find a man halfway through her window just after midnight.
A massive pile of debris is all that remains of Building 6, a three-story structure that was gutted by flames shortly before 9 p.m. Saturday. All 12 units inside were destroyed. Firefighters battled the blaze for hours, and the building collapsed around 9:30 p.m. Sunday after crews returned to address lingering hot spots.
“It was just terrifying,” said Ellen Jensen, a homeowner at the complex.
“It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before — upset, shocked, terrified watching their home go down,” said Naomi Coleman, the board president of Tower Point Condominiums.
Everyone made it out safely, but some pets are still unaccounted for. Several neighboring buildings were also evacuated during the fire, and residents say one neighbor opened their home to take in multiple displaced families.
“We were getting ready for bed and just saw lights, looked outside and saw neighbors running,” Jensen said. “Opening your curtains and just seeing flames — it was chaos.”
Many residents escaped with little more than the clothes they were wearing.
“Many people were just in their socks and PJs because everybody was in bed or getting ready for bed,” said Jensen.
“Until one, two, three o’clock in the morning, we were all out there,” added Coleman.
Coleman said police helped an elderly resident contact his family that night, and that first responders continued working well into the next morning.
“They were still spraying at six o’clock the next morning when I left,” she said, adding that several firefighters fell through one of the floors during the response.
All displaced residents had a place to stay the night of the fire, but in the days since, neighbors say a new fear has taken hold.
“Intruders on our property — break-ins, people going through the rubble,” Jensen said.
Residents say they’ve witnessed suspicious activity at all hours of the night. Coleman said a car has been stolen, and that one unit was broken into three nights in a row, with items taken. Jensen said she witnessed police arrest one of the suspects.
Surveillance video now in the hands of police shows two men slipping under yellow caution tape and heading upstairs into units. Coleman said the most alarming incident happened just after midnight, when a woman woke up to find a stranger entering her home through a window.
“She asked him what he was doing there, and he said he was looking for his girlfriend’s ring — and then he left,” Coleman said.
The complex had already changed all its locks a few months ago following a break-in at the management office.
Property management says crime following disasters is a common — but troubling — reality.
“Unfortunately there have been break-ins right after it happened,” said Scott Butler with LHR Contracting, the construction division of Associa, the property management company. “After a house fire or an event like this, you do have people who try to take advantage of the situation — whether it’s looting, stripping wire or things like that.”
LHR coordinated with the city on initial demolition efforts and will handle debris removal. Testing showed no asbestos was present, which Butler said will make the cleanup process easier. Crews have about 10 days to remove debris — likely by Tuesday or Wednesday — though weather could impact that timeline. Once removal is complete, the city will inspect the foundation to determine whether it is structurally sound.
In response to the break-ins, security is now walking the property overnight, additional lighting and fencing have been installed, and police are increasing patrols. A community meeting with a SAFFE officer is also planned, and residents are being encouraged to turn on porch lights to improve visibility.
Despite the devastation, residents say they want to return.
“That’s what I’m looking for — the good that’s going to result from the bad,” Coleman said. “But right now, we’ve got a lot of bad we’ve got to get rid of.”
The American Red Cross was on site within hours of the fire and continues to assist residents with basic needs, emotional support and recovery resources.
“Funds for the Red Cross really weren’t enough, but it helped,” Coleman added. “When you’ve lost everything except the shirt on your back, every penny counts.”
A clothing drive is scheduled at the complex Friday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., with donations open to the public. Another housewares and furniture drive is planned in the coming weeks.
Three GoFundMe pages have also been set up to help displaced families: