COLUMBUS, Ohio -- One East Side homeowner said a COTA bus stop was to blame for a recent car break-in.
It's a bus stop that serves the public and Columbus City Schools students. The homeowner said the stop is too close to her family and is asking COTA and CCS to move the stop away from her home.
NBC 4's Patrick Preston GOT ANSWERS Tuesday on whether she has a case.
The stop is at the corner of Brentnell and Holt avenues.
Homeowner Shelia Hoskin said the stop's closeness is not a convenience but a concern.
A broken window. A missing car stereo. And a feeling of insecurity.
That all led Hoskin to one conclusion: "The bus stop must move," she said.
For Hoskin, the car break-in was the last straw after years of trouble that she associates with COTA and CCS bus riders hanging out in front of her property.
"They lean up against my car. They play around my cars. They sit on my front step. You know, they lean up against the garage when it's hot. And they litter in the summertime. So, I'm just at the point where I'm just fed up," Hoskin said.
After Hoskin said she didn't get a prompt response from COTA or CCS, she called NBC 4 . She wanted to know why it's so difficult to move a bus stop.
"They standing at the bus stop. They can see what's in my cars, see what's in my house," Hoskins said.
Hoskin wasn't asking the stop to go away. She had a simple suggestion: Move it across the street where there aren't any homes.
Preston reported the empty lot isn't any more than 50 feet from Hoskin's home and the current stop.
Preston asked other riders, including Kim Beaver who walks eight blocks to get to the stop at Brentnell and Holt, whether she was for or against crossing the street to wait for COTA.
"That would be fine with me. It wouldn't make any difference at all," Beaver said.
COTA and CCS spokespersons called Preston Tuesday morning and told him they were checking into the matter.
COTA spokesperson Marty Stutz said the area did not have sidewalks in the past and features a hill that could pose problems for elderly and disabled riders.
Hoskin said sidewalks have been built and farther down the road there is no hill.
Stutz said COTA would evaluate the bus stop.
Columbus City Schools spokesperson Jeff Warner said he was looking into the matter but could not comment at the moment.
An COTA spokesperson called Preston Tuesday afternoon and said a bus-stop move was not anticipated.
Stay with NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com for the latest information in this developing story.
To submit a story idea or news tip, e-mail stories@nbc4i.com.
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