Family of Gateway Hotel resident says personal belongings may be lost forever
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The family of one of the residents evicted from the condemned Gateway Hotel tells ABC-7 that many of his mother's belongings have been probably lost forever.
Sean Fischer, whose 87-year-old mother was one of the hotel's evicted residents, says the door to his mother's room was wide open with personal papers and belongings scattered on the floor.
Fischer told ABC-7 that her mother was a painter and a writer. According to Fischer, his mother's artwork and writings were some of his mother's most valuable possessions she had created through decades of work and are now gone.
Residents from the Gateway Hotel had been evicted on September 12. Fischer says at the time of the eviction, residents were told to just gather the belongings they needed at the time.
Fischer also says he and his mother had been told by County of El Paso employees that residents would have the opportunity to return to gather their belongings in about two weeks.
“The county didn't appear to account for any sort of inventory of the property when they were told that, 'Hey, just take what you need.' There was no process built around that," said Fischer.
ABC-7 was outside the Gateway Hotel on Wednesday, October 2, when our crew noticed items on the sidewalk. The owner told ABC-7 off camera that unclaimed property was thrown away and that other items belonging to the hotel were sold.
Fischer told ABC-7 that their main goal at the moment is finding a long-term residence for his mother.
Just last week on September 25, Mayor Oscar Leeser told ABC-7 the City's Office of Emergency Management (OEM) would be working with displaced residents.
ABC-7 reached out to the City of El Paso to learn how residents were being assisted. A City spokesperson said that OEM connects people to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that the City works closely with.
Laura Cruz-Acosta, spokesperson with the City of El Paso, said in part quote:
“while OEM is not directly providing support, OEM connects the key parties, as part of the standard practice.”
