BILLINGS- The Billings Police Department is investigating a burglary at the Happy Homes apartment complex, where a resident said a staff maintenance worker used a master key to gain entry to the apartment and steal medication.
The resident said they captured the theft on camera.
Billings Police Lt. Brandon Wooley said a burglary was reported on Oct. 16 at the apartment complex at the corner of King Avenue West and Shiloh Road. He declined to confirm that the suspect is a Happy Homes employees, citing an ongoing investigation.
“In line with our current practice and policy, we don’t release details of an investigation while it is active and on-going,” Wooley said in an email.
Wooley did say though, that no one has been arrested and that the case has been assigned to a detective to follow further. Officers have 30 days to complete the investigation or request an extension, he said.
The resident who lives at the apartment wished to remain anonymous. She told Q2 News surveillance footage inside their apartment captured the Happy Homes worker using a key to access their apartment.
The video also, according to the source, captured that person stealing prescription narcotics.
Monday, Q2 News placed a call to Happy Homes to get more information about the alleged theft. A woman on the phone said Happy Homes has no comment.
The resident originally posted the encounter on a Facebook group but requested anonymity from Q2 News out of fear of retaliation. The resident said she wants other residents to be alert to any potential theft happening in the complex.
“I had dozens of people message me with similar things happening. Most thought they were going crazy because they thought they had accidentally misplaced their meds,” said the resident.
The resident that Happy Homes changed the locks as a result of the theft. However, she said she feels “a level of uneasiness because maintenance staff still have access to master keys.”
Wooley said if residents feel they’ve been a victim of a prescription medication theft at Happy Homes to please call the Billings Police Department.
Reporting by Andrea Lutz for MTN News
