ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A man turned to Eyewitness News for help because he was concerned about his mother’s safety, after seeing a security guard sleeping at her building.
Security was beefed up at apartment buildings operated by the Salvation Army after an elderly woman was raped last year.
When video of the sleeping guard surfaced this week, managers said they immediately demanded he be removed and replaced.
The video shows the security guard fast asleep at about 9 p.m.
He’s supposed to be the eyes and ears and first line of defense for people who lives at the Catherine Booth Towers.
The Salvation Army runs the both the Catherine and William Booth Towers, which are high-rises for low-income seniors.
The man who captured the guard sleeping on camera said a few months ago he caught two guard sleeping at the front desk.
Security measures were implemented at the residence shortly after Dominic Reed was convicted of raping an 82-year-old woman in the building in 2013.
Police said Reed was able to walk into the building and force his way into the victim’s apartment.
Residents also worry about a nearby lake that has become a hotbed for vagrants.
The Salvation Army contracts Weiser Security to provide guards at the towers, and said its expectation is that those guards are trained and alert.
Channel 9 contacted Weiser Security for comment to find out what happens when its guards are caught sleeping on the job, but the company has not returned any calls.