DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) — An apartment manager in Decatur is facing first-degree theft of property charges after she allegedly stole over $100,000 from the apartment’s tenants.

According to Decatur Police Department (DPD), the apartment manager Tina Dianne Bryant, 48, of Decatur, was taking money from tenants at Brookridge Apartments & Townhomes for rent and not depositing them into the apartment business account.

In February 2022, a representative of an apartment in Decatur filed a report with the Decatur Police Department (DPD) regarding the theft. The report stated that the theft occurred between January 2019 and December 2021.

Residents say they are left overwhelmed and outraged at the thought of being kicked out of their homes.

One resident who asked to remain anonymous told News 19 residents at the complex have limited resources to pay rent.

“It’s hard enough to pay the rent just the first time. But when they try to make you pay it for a second time you just can’t do it,” he said. “90 percent of them (tenants) are on set income, and when you take money like that it’s hard for them to have to come back and try to do it a second time over.”

While investigating these claims, a detective determined that a large number of personal checks, which were meant to be tenants’ rent, were deposited into Bryant’s personal bank account. The checks totaled more than $45,000. Cash from rent payments was also found, totaling more than $100,000.

On August 26, 2022, the detective obtained a warrant for Bryant’s arrest. She was arrested and charged with first-degree theft of property.

On Monday, August 25, 2022, Bryant was released on a $5,000 bond. The investigation is ongoing, and more charges are possible.

Hawthorne Residential Partners, the current property management firm for Brookridge Apartments, is aware of the arrest of Tina Bryant on charges related to her previous employment at the community.

When asked by News 19 for a statement, they had this to say: “Tina Bryant was employed with another management company that was previously managing Brookridge. Tina Bryant is not and at no time has ever been an employee of or affiliated with Hawthorne, so we are not involved with the investigation and will not have any further comment on the case.”