Horizon West condo break-ins; owners, neighbors concerned

WAUKESHA, Wis. - Owners say someone broke in to Waukesha's condemned Horizon West condominium building – and may even be living there.

"The back door was completely open," neighbor Dennis Unterbrink said. "Trash.  Some cigarette butts and uneaten hamburgers."

Something caught Unterbrink's eye in late June when he looked across the street at the Horizon West condos. Both inside and outside the condemned building, it appeared he had a new neighbor.

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"Hopefully it’s just mischievous activity as opposed to people setting up residence," he said.

During his regular rounds at the building Sunday, building manager Al Pulcifer made a similar discovery. He said someone crawled in through a window and opened locked doors to several units.

Horizon West Condominium Homes in Waukesha

"There’s nothing of any value in there," Pulcifer said. "All the homeowners were allowed to come in and take any possessions they wanted." 

In December 2021, a threat of collapse forced condo owners to evacuate the building. The city issued a raze order in January. Inspectors say it is not safe to be inside, and with so many homes and apartments nearby, the building's manager said it adds an extra worry.

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"They had to have some kind of tool or crowbar," said Pulcifer.

Inside the lobby, Pulcifer showed FOX6 News where he said someone pried open a mailbox and shattered glass. 

Waukesha police told FOX6 that people have called them to the building five times thus far in 2022. Someone has looked into each complaint, but the building is always empty when they arrive.

Break-in damage at Horizon West condos in Waukesha

Police urge condo owners to double-down on security.

"It may have been kids that just wanted to snoop around. We have no way of knowing if anything was stolen or not," said Pulcifer.

Pulcifer changed all the locks in December. He said he checked all doors and locks again after the latest break-in was discovered Sunday, July 3.