An NYC apartment security breach left a Korean American couple stunned after a building security guard handed their apartment key to a stranger who claimed she was their dog walker.
The woman allegedly entered the couple’s luxury apartment in Long Island City, Queens, and spent hours inside, drinking alcohol, lounging on their couch and behaving as if she lived there.
The bizarre incident occurred July 24 at an apartment building on Purves Street while residents Yerim Kim and Bill Kim were away on a trip to Yellowstone National Park.
Indoor security camera footage later shared by Yerim Kim on social media shows an unfamiliar woman wearing a dress and high heels walking around the living room, drinking and lying on the couch. After noticing the camera recording her, the woman allegedly removed it.
Security Guard Allegedly Handed Stranger the Key
The couple later learned that the woman had gained access to their home through a building security guard.
According to the couple, the woman told the guard that she was a dog walker hired by the Kims. The guard allegedly handed over their apartment key without adequately verifying her identity and even escorted her to their unit.
The couple received an intrusion alert on the final night of their vacation. After checking the security footage, they immediately began recording what they saw and contacted police and a friend in New York for help.
“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing through the security camera while we were away,” Bill Kim told FOX 5. “It was after 11 p.m. If we didn’t have that camera, we don’t know what she might have done.”
The couple’s friend arrived before police and knocked on the apartment door, telling the woman that he knew she was not a resident and demanding that she leave.
The woman eventually came outside and made confusing statements before leaving the building.
But just minutes later, she allegedly returned, claiming she had left her car keys in the bathroom. She then pulled out one of several sets of keys she was carrying, unlocked the apartment door and walked back inside, according to the couple.
Couple Says Woman Returned Two Days Later
Police eventually arrived but transported the woman to a hospital rather than arresting her.
According to a social media post by Yerim Kim, officers cited the woman’s mental health condition as the reason she was not taken into custody.
Two days after the NYC apartment security breach, the same woman allegedly returned to the building’s lobby and claimed she was there to meet someone. This time, she was denied entry.
“When I saw that she had come back to the apartment, I was terrified,” Kim said. “I couldn’t believe she had returned. I felt sick to my stomach the moment I saw her.”
The building’s management company later apologized to the couple and said the security guard involved had been fired.
The Kims, however, said the incident was far more serious than an inconvenience, arguing that the security failure created a direct threat to their safety.
The New York Police Department is now investigating the incident as a burglary, according to reports.
Luxury Apartment Rents for About $4,700 a Month
The incident has also raised questions about security procedures at high-end residential buildings, particularly when staff members have access to residents’ homes.
According to Zillow, a one-bedroom apartment in the building rents for around $4,700 per month. The luxury property offers amenities including a movie theater, resident lounge, rooftop space and sauna.
