INDIANAPOLIS — Two Indianapolis residents say their rent payments were stolen from a drop box outside their apartment management office, leaving them scrambling to cover costs they had already paid.
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Estella Mitchell said paying rent had been routine for years.
"Well, we paid our rent as normal, and we dropped it in the drop box like we always do," Mitchell said.
But weeks later, she received an unexpected call from her property manager.
"Our rent wasn't paid, and I'm like, 'What?' And she's like, 'Yeah, your rent has not been paid. The drop box has been broken into, and several money orders have been stolen, and yours is one of them,'" Mitchell said.
Mitchell said the situation was especially alarming given her financial situation.
"I'm poor, and I'm on a fixed income, so I can't afford for people to steal my rent and then have to pay it again," Mitchell said.
According to court documents, investigators say multiple rent payments were stolen from a drop box outside a property management office on North Shadeland Avenue between May and July of 2025.
Police say the payments, including money orders and a cashier's check, were altered and cashed at local businesses.
Detectives say one suspect, Larry Alan Evans, cashed several of the stolen money orders totaling more than $3,400 at an Ace Cash Express on North Sherman Drive. Investigators say another suspect deposited a $2,000 stolen cashier's check into a bank account tied to him.
Aishah Anderson said her rent payment was also taken.
"It's been very hard, very difficult to get the money back… and it put a financial strain on me at the time," Anderson said.
Experts say cases like this highlight why renters should always keep documentation of their payments.
"The biggest thing you can do in any transaction is keeping receipts of it… situations like this show why it's so important to have that documentation," Jennifer Adamany, communications director for the BBB, said.
Mitchell had a message for those responsible.
"Don't mess with poor people's rent because if you mess with poor people's rent, you're going to get caught up," Mitchell said.
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Adam Schumes is the In Your Community reporter for East Side Indy. He joined WRTV in December of 2021. Adam has a passion for telling stories and giving people a voice they might not have had before. Share your story ideas and important issues with Adam by emailing him at adam.schumes@wrtv.com.
