Ceiling collapse crushes woman's belongings

Lisa Parker fears cat was among casualties

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A woman said she arrived home from work Tuesday to find a huge chunk of her ceiling collapsed, crushing everything underneath it.

Neighbors said they heard a loud crash come from the apartment along Wild Olive Avenue at approximately 4:30 p.m.

When Lisa Parker arrived home, she found most of her belongings were covered in dry wall and dust.

"What do I do? That's the thing I thought," she said. "My first thought is, 'Where's my cat?'"

Parker said Daytona Beach firefighters used an infrared tool to help find her cat, whom she guesses was probably sleeping when the ceiling collapsed.

The 8-month-old pet was not found.

Parker said she had noticed a crack in the ceiling before the collapse, but she didn't think it was ominous enough to create such destruction.

The owners of the apartment complex told News 6 they are working with their insurance company to help Parker.

They also said they want to make sure the rest of the apartments are safe.


About the Author:

Erik Sandoval joined the News 6 team as a reporter in May 2013 and became an Investigator in 2020. During his time at News 6, Erik has covered several major stories, including the 2016 Presidential campaign. He was also one of the first reporters live on the air at the Pulse Nightclub shooting.