SALT LAKE CITY — For more than a week, Miguel Sabaria says he has felt trapped inside his apartment.
Sabaria has lived on the third floor at Liberty Metro Apartments in Salt Lake City for the past two years. Sabaria, who uses a wheelchair due to Spina Bifida has felt constricted due to a broken elevator in his building.
"Wednesday the sixth is when it went out and then they didn't end up getting it fixed until the 11 on Monday this week," said Sarabia.
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He says it was working for a few days, before breaking down once again on Wednesday.
The issue caused Sarabia to miss work twice in the past week.
"It's been a hassle because I can't really get downstairs you know and I'd have to have my neighbors if they're available to help me down the stairs," said Sarabia.
Luckily, his friend and neighbor, Richard Shadis has been there to lend a helping hand.
"You just carry whatever they need, my friend uses a chair, so he, you know when to get up the steps, he uses crutches and I carry his chair," said Shadis.
The two have been friends since Sarabia moved into the building back in 2020. Shadis says neighbors helping neighbors is just something they do here at this building.
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"I don't know anybody here that's not leaning on someone else or something else, like it is a community," said Shadis. "It's just a reflex it's not something you think about, you just do it because we're only here like everybody's here just have a little quality in life you know and we don't have friends because we expect something we just, we are friends."
It is friendships like that, which Sarabia says he appreciates.
"I'm thankful for the neighbors and friends that I have in this building, it's great to have them," said Sarabia.
FOX 13 News did reach out to Liberty Metro Apartments on Thursday. They tell us they were able to get the elevator back up and running again. It is something that was music to the ears of Sarabia.
"I'm really happy, you know, like I'm actually going to go to work today, I'm going to have a good day," said Sarabia.
Shadis says it is pretty common for people in the building to get each others schedules, so they can help one another when need be.
