Man arrested at condemned Rialto apartments, accused of stealing Ring cameras, tools: Affidavit

Man accused of burglaries at condemned Rialto Apartments in Orlando

A man has been arrested and charged in connection with a burglary at the evacuated Rialto Apartments complex in Orange County, according to a sheriff’s report. Deputies responded to the property on West Sand Lake Road in Orlando on April 16 after receiving a call about a burglary in progress.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - A 31-year-old man was arrested at the Rialto apartments on Thursday, accused of illegally entering the complex, where he roamed a hallway, ripped at least two surveillance doorbell cameras off doorways, and entered a vacant unit.

Israel Jacobowitz was arrested and booked into jail on several charges, including burglary, attempted burglary, criminal mischief, grand theft, and trespass in a condemned building.

According to the arrest report, surveillance video captured Jacobowitz walking around the hallways, attempting to open doors to apartment units, and allegedly putting stolen items into a white plastic bag.

When confronted by a security guard, he allegedly yelled: "I was told by the Rabi next door that this building was abandoned. I have the right to be here!"

Orange County deputies searched Jacobowitz and found four bank cards and tools with him.

What they're saying:

In a statement, Northland, the company that manages the Rialto apartments, said:

This is an evolving situation. Based on what we know at this time, an unauthorized individual was identified on-site this morning, and management immediately contacted the Orlando Police Department. We have confirmed that one apartment containing resident belongings was entered without authorization. We appreciate the police department’s prompt response and are cooperating fully as they continue their investigation.

Out of respect for the ongoing investigation, we are not able to share additional details at this time. We continue to have security personnel on-site and are taking appropriate measures to support the community.

The backstory:

The Rialto apartments were evacuated on March 19 after residents called 911 to report that their doors had been jammed and "popping noises," leading them to fear that the building was about to collapse.

Officials inspected the building and noted cracks and other damage throughout the property, though it was still being determined whether those cracks or damage were there over a period of time or more recently.

Report: Gaps between foundation, soil likely caused downward movement

Engineers recently completed a Structural and Geotechnical Investigation and found several gaps between the soil and the building's foundation in several areas, which likely caused a downward movement of the slab and wall. 

The building stacks – stacks 45 and 47 – were primarily affected, causing a number of structural concerns – leading to doors jammed and floors sloped. 

Here are a few issues identified by engineers: 

• Several gaps between the concrete slab and underlying soil – ranging from 0.5 to four inches deep – were found.
• A three-foot deep and 15 feet wide in diameter gap was found between the soil and the ground-level slab that extends underneath the load-bearing wall footing between stacks 45 and 47.
• The report said it's believed that a lack of soil below the slab-on-grade foundation between these stacks resulted in the downward movement of the slab and wall.
• Engineers observed cracks in the drywall of stacks 45 and 47, jammed doors and floors that sloped toward a shared bearing wall between units 45 and 47.

"Our initial observations indicated that a portion of the building had likely been displaced or otherwise moved downward," the report said.