The owner of a two-apartment property in Lansing, Michigan, where police conducted a raid on Tuesday as part of a narcotics investigation, is speaking out. The property owner, who requested anonymity due to concerns about traveling back to her home country of China, informed police about alleged drug activity and began cooperating with them in mid-February, a month after renting the property to a brother-sister duo.
The rental agreement was signed on January 23, but soon neighbors started complaining about increased foot traffic to the second-floor apartment and people described as “homeless” coming and going. The property owner provided text messages from the Lansing Police Department Special Operations Division, but LPD Assistant Chief Eric Pratl declined to confirm their authenticity.
City officials confirmed that the property was red-tagged on Tuesday due to sewage backup in the basement. The 68-year-old property owner expressed eagerness to address drug trafficking issues and mentioned difficulties with the tenants blocking her entrance and not allowing her to investigate abnormal water usage.
The property was not properly certified as a rental under Lansing’s Housing Code, but the property owner claimed she had to reschedule inspections due to caring for her ailing husband. City officials confirmed delays in inspections and safety violations noted during the final inspection on February 28, 2024.
Following the raid on May 20, resulting in 9 arrests, the property was red-tagged but people continued to return. Mikhye Bowers, 24, was charged with resisting and obstructing police, while Paul Mollett was arrested for possession of methamphetamine. The property owner requested that Lansing Code Compliance not secure the property to prohibit entry after the raid. Ella informó a Code que iba a asegurar adecuadamente la propiedad lo antes posible”, dice Bean, el portavoz de la ciudad, a 6 News en un correo electrónico. “Como ella estaba siendo muy cooperativa, se le permitió asegurarla ella misma y no incurrir en un cargo por tablones”.
El propietario dice a 6 News que pidió que la propiedad permaneciera abierta para que pudiera “ventilar” el olor a alcantarilla en el sótano.
Después de que las personas fueran sacadas a la fuerza de la propiedad el 21 de mayo, ella pagó a alguien para atornillar las puertas. En cuestión de horas, dice, llegaron dos hombres que usaron un destornillador para entrar en la propiedad.
Cuando llamó a la policía de Lansing para informar de un allanamiento en la propiedad, el oficial se negó a tomar un informe.
El subjefe de LPD, Pratl, dice que los agentes determinaron “que no se había cometido ningún delito”, por lo que no se presentó ningún informe.
Tuvo que llamar a la policía nuevamente el 22 de mayo, más tarde en el día, cuando descubrió más personas en la propiedad marcada en rojo. Una vez más, la policía determinó que no se había cometido ningún delito y no se creó ningún informe, dice Pratl a 6 News.