Woman files negligence lawsuit in Sarasota County after father found dead in apartment
Security firm faces negligence suit over death
A woman has filed a negligence lawsuit against a security guard and the firm he worked after her father died in his apartment and she feels a guard who checked on him the day before missed crucial signs of medical distress. FOX 13’s Kimberly Kuizon reports.
SARASOTA, Fla - A Michigan woman has filed a civil negligence lawsuit in Sarasota County against a security guard and his firm, alleging they ignored signs of distress before her father was found dead inside his apartment.
Sarasota County negligence lawsuit
What we know:
Brandi Crawford filed the civil lawsuit after her father, Kirk Schonwald, died inside his McCowan Towers apartment, which is run by the Sarasota Housing Authority.
"I had just visited him a few months earlier, and I talked to him on Father’s Day, and he was watching the Tigers game. I didn’t think that would be the last time I would ever talk to my dad," she said.
On the night of June 20, 2024, a neighbor contacted a security guard with TRVST Inc., reporting that water was flooding through the complex and appeared to be coming from Schonwald's home.
The guard entered the apartment and found Schonwald sitting on the toilet with water overflowing from a clogged sink. Attorney Darren Finebloom of The Law Place explained that "there were several signs of medical distress. Which included the flooding and feces. The security guard claims he affirmed he [Schonwald] was okay despite all the evidence of the medical distress. Turned the water off and left the apartment."
Timeline:
The next morning, Schonwald was found dead in the exact same spot. The civil filing states the guard failed to inform the housing authority and did not call for help despite Schonwald's known medical history and past hospital visits.
Crawford said, "I was just shocked by the whole thing," adding, "It’s just the effects it’s had on me and I feel like the way that he was found and surrounding circumstances."
Finebloom noted, "Brandi wants to know what happened. It’s about finding out what happened to her dad which we believe could have been preventable."
Seeking accountability, Crawford said, "I just want justice for my dad."
The other side:
TRVST Inc. is no longer contracted by the Sarasota Housing Authority. The company's agency chief responded to FOX 13 and said he believes the lawsuit has "no merit."
Legal proceedings in Sarasota
What's next:
The civil case remains in the discovery phase within the Sarasota County court system, and no trial date has been set.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon, who gathered information from the court filing, a statement from the security firm and from interviews with Brandi Crawford, the daughter of Kirk Schonwald, and Darren Finebloom, attorney with The Law Place.