‘It's going to fall on my babies' heads.' Bed-Stuy mother says leaking ceiling collapsed after years of complaints
Dekeeya McLellan says the ceiling in her apartment has cracked, chipped and leaked repeatedly over the years.
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A Bed-Stuy mother says years of leaks and temporary fixes turned into a frightening and frustrating ordeal early Friday morning when a section of her living room ceiling collapsed during heavy rain.
Dekeeya McLellan says the ceiling in her apartment has cracked, chipped and leaked repeatedly over the years.
But around 6 a.m., she woke to find a foot-long gash dripping water onto the floor. She says it was the worst damage she’s seen yet.
“From one to 10, I’m to the max. I’m over it,” McLellan said. “I’m ready to move or just leave from here.”
McLellan says she has long feared the ceiling might fall while she sat on the couch. Instead, she says her young son slipped on the wet floor Friday morning.
“My son told me, ‘My knee, Mommy,’” she said. “And then my oldest came out and said, ‘It’s leaking again, Mommy.’”
The leak sits directly above the family’s dinner and homework table. Her children, Dior and Michael, have now moved their schoolwork into the hallway to avoid the falling debris.
“I’m so afraid this ceiling could come down on all of us in here,” McLellan said.
After receiving no update from the building’s superintendent throughout the day, News 12 contacted management. McLellan says she was then told repairs are scheduled for Dec. 22, the first time she had heard a date.
That leaves several more days of waiting, something she says she’s been doing for years. She hopes this time the repair will be more than another patch job.
"If they had been doing what they should be doing, we wouldn't be here. It's not safe," she said.
