ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Rent money was stolen before it even made it to an Orange County landlord.
That's what Orange County deputies say happened at the Laguna Oaks Apartment complex along South Semoran Boulevard when someone broke into the rent drop box and stole people's rent checks.
Investigators said there could be dozens of victims.
Laguna Oaks residents were alarmed to hear dozens of rent checks may have been swiped from the secure drop box this past weekend.
They had no idea until Eyewitness News told them.
Orlando police were called to the complex Monday after managers discovered the thieves bypassed the drop box and pried open the door to get the rent checks.
Typically at the end of the month, management said about 200 checks are left in the drop box.
Officers noted 30 checks weren't taken, but still dozens more may have been victimized.
"I want to know my funds for rent are secure," tenant Blaire Booth said.
"Everybody should know, before it happens again," tenant Nancy Booth said.
"They definitely should have let us know, I'm actually offended by it," tenant Elias Powers said.
"That's somebody's money sometimes you can't get it back. We work hard to pay for our rent," Booth said.
Eyewitness News took residents' concerns to the leasing office.
"Have you sent out an alert to residents or anything?" asked Channel 9's Anthony DiLorenzo.
"I can't comment on that," said a worker.
There's construction going on at the club house, but crews finished for the weekend on Saturday.
Investigators think the heist happened between Sunday and Monday.
Management said it hasn't finished processing October rent checks to determine how much money was actually stolen.
WFTV
