TOLEDO, Ohio — Demolition started Thursday on a vacant north Toledo warehouse. The buildings at 1502 Elm St. are where 21-year-old Cindy Sumner was found dead in September, 2009. Her death shook the community.
"I've been waiting 14 years for it to come down," Mary Bateson said. "And it's finally coming down."
Bateson is Sumner's mother. She was left with the painful reminder of her loss and has worked with local leaders to get the buildings torn down.
Lucas County Treasurer Lindsay Webb said when she first took office she made a commitment to get it done.
"I knew people who knew Cindy, and everyone talked about what an amazing person she was and how full of life and sweet she was," Webb said.
Webb said because of American Rescue Plan money matching some state funds, the abandoned warehouse is finally coming down. The project will take several weeks and cost $875,000. Lucas County Land Bank and its contractor, Advanced Demolition Services, will lead the demolition process.
"Nothing can be built here until we get this building down. The renewal of the community can't happen until this building comes down. Brick by brick," Webb said.
Bateson says the demolition only brings her some closure.
"Yeah, but it'll still give me my attacks," Bateson said. "But it'll be good when it's down."
The man accused of killing Sumner, Elhadi Robbins, died in jail in 2013 awaiting trial.
Prior to the Sumner case, Robbins was incarcerated on a theft conviction and failure to notify as a sex offender. He was also convicted in 2006 for the illegal use of a five-year-old boy in nudity oriented material.
MORE LOCAL HEADLINES FROM WTOL 11