DETROIT (WXYZ) — A Detroit man said a routine walk he’s made hundreds of times to and from his apartment building turned violent last Monday. He and his fiancee are now looking for a sense of safety and justice.
The reported attack happened in the skywalk of the New Center parking garage on Lothrop Street on Feb. 9 around 7 p.m. The skywalk connects the parking garage to his apartment building.
Watch Darren Cunningham's video report below:
“They were just kicking indiscriminately — my head, my back, my side, everywhere. I was just sort of curled up in a fetal position doing my best to block any blows," Chad recalled.
He shared images of the bruises and scratches he said four youth inflicted.
“They said get ’em, and they jumped on me. They said where are your keys? Give me your keys," the man recalled.
Chad said he ran back into the garage, the group pinned him down and that’s when the kicking started.
They stole his cellphone before tossing it, his wallet and his keys. A couple of hours after reporting the assault to police. He and his fiancee, Emily, said they got a knock on the door.
“The first thing I thought was who is it? Because they had my wallet. They had my address,” Chad recalled.
It was Detroit police.
“They said ‘Um yeah, they took your car and it’s completely totaled. It’s really bad. It’s going to need to be towed,’" Emily told 7 News Detroit.
They learned the teens had stolen the vehicle and crashed it into a pole after a chase with Detroit police around 9 p.m. Emily said the traumatic event has put her and her fiancé in deeper financial bind, and it's added insult to the injuries the suspect's inflicted. They say they're paying hundreds of dollars for a rental vehicle, and now they've started a GoFundMe.
A neighbor found his wallet, and they later learned Chad's cellphone was tossed on the second floor of the parking garage. A security guard found the phone.
“It’s really sad because I love Detroit, and it’s kind of like that stereotype kind of played out on us. It’s a tough feeling. I just want him to get justice," she said.
Emily said part of that justice is for the owner of the parking garage, Bedrock Detroit, to take accountability for a security lapse.
The couple said they pay $120 per month to park in that garage.
7 News Detroit reached out to the company about the incident. A Bedrock spokesperson said in a statement:
“We are aware of an incident that took place near the new center garage on Monday, February 9, 2026. There is an active investigation underway, and we are fully cooperating with local law enforcement. All further inquiries may be directed to the Detroit Police Department."
“I’m just going to keep my eyes out for loiterers. That’s a weird thing to say but, ya know, that’s the people that got me. They were just loitering, and I’m going to keep my head on a swivel," Chad said.
Detroit police told 7 News Detroit a warrant packet has been submitted to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, which will then determine any charges.
