Allentown residents are speaking out after kidnapping and attack on Virginia Street

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – Four people have been arrested after a 21-year-old man was allegedly kidnapped and attacked at a Virginia Street apartment last week. Residents are now speaking out, saying this is just one example of the many problems they have faced in the Allentown area.

Jacob Lea-Kelly, an Allentown resident, has lived on North Pearl Street for the past three years. He, his wife and 12-year-old son moved to the area because of its proximity to Allen Street and Downtown Buffalo.

In recent years, Lea-Kelly said he had noticed a problem with some nearby properties, including the building on the 500 block of Virginia Street where the alleged attack took place.

“We’ve seen clothes thrown out of windows. We’ve seen towels put up as curtains,” Lea-Kelly said. “There’s a lot of strange, strange people coming out of that building.”

People who regularly visit the lively area said it has turned into an area full of beggars, crime and visible drug use. They said they used to feel safe walking around Allentown at night, but not anymore.

“The city’s response has been absolutely terrible,” said Buffalo resident Joseph Wyman. “I love the city. I would do everything I could, but it doesn’t give me anything in return.”

Lea-Kelly, along with other neighbors who contacted WIVB News 4, said they called Buffalo Common Council member Mitch Nowakowski and 311 to report several issues but noticed no changes.

Nowakowski said he can’t address every complaint.

“Some people will email me and say these people look distasteful or these people look strange,” Nowakowski said. “But it’s not illegal to be queer. It’s not illegal to walk the streets or be homeless. So the way we fight this problem is very complex.”

When asked about the attack on Virginia Street, Nowakowski said he is confident there is no gang activity in Allentown. He said he spoke with Buffalo Police Chief Joseph Gramaglia, who said this was an isolated incident.

“It involved multiple people for a targeted offense and the police are on it. We are doing a full investigation,” Nowakowski said. “Ultimately I’m going to press what the connection between this house and the totality of the crime was.”

Nowakowski said that since receiving complaints, he has been in contact with District B police to increase patrols on Allen Street and surrounding areas. He’s also working with health care providers to get a street team working with people who are homeless, to try to get them care and off the streets.

Trina Catterson joined the News 4 team in 2024. She previously worked at WETM-TV in Elmira, a sister station of WIVB. View more of her work here.