Detroit landlord worried after one tenant threatens to burn building down

(WJBK) - The landlord of the Chicago Apartments has filed a police report and a personal protection order against one of her tenants, but she fears it’s no enough.

“The first pretty bad thing she did was hit a person in the head with a hammer and they had to get 23 staples,” Lynn Thompson said.

Thompson is the landlord at the apartment complex on West Chicago near Dexter on Detroit’s west side. She says the hammer attack was just the beginning.

“The next thing was she maced someone,” she said.

Earlier in the week, the tenant sprayed the fire extinguisher all over the hallways of the building. Apartment residents recorded the aftermath on their phones. 

“We asked her to move and she said she would be out by January 27 but instead of moving she took the extinguishers down and sprayed the building and said she’s going to burn the building down,” she said. 

Thompson is on edge and so are her tenants.

“I am truly worried, I don’t feel the threats are idle, I feel like in her mind if she has to leave she’s gonna do something,” she said. 

The landlord filed a PPO against the woman, hoping it will prompt her to move out.
“Today she told a tenant if I have to leave everybody's going with me,” she said. 

But why is this woman acting like this? Late last month she sent Lynn Thompson a text apologizing for her behavior and said she would be moving out but never did.

“I think she just has issues, I can’t say why she’s so angry, I don’t know what’s going on but we just said we can't take it anymore,” Thompson said. 

Fox 2 talked to some of the people who live in the building, they agreed with everything Lynn said, but for their own safety they chose not to go on camera.