CLEVELAND, OH — What was supposed to be a couple’s dream project in Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood has turned into a nightmare after thieves broke in, stole copper and caused more than $100,000 damage.
“We were devastated,” said Dana Huddleston-Cameron, “We were sick. That makes you physically sick to come in and see what happened.”
Huddleton-Cameron and her husband found the damage to the former Brooklyn Polish American Home last month during a visit to check on renovations.
The couple purchased the building in 2018 with plans to turn it into a medical center and coffee shop.
After years of setbacks and having spent more than $2 million, Huddleston-Cameron said they were finally looking forward to opening soon.
“We were excited,” said Huddleston-Cameron. “Everything was coming together so beautifully.”
But when they arrived Jan. 18, 2026, she said they immediately noticed the front door was unlocked.
A few steps into the building, and her heart dropped.
“The damage is, it’s disgraceful,” said Huddleston-Cameron as she walked down a hallway. “It’s shameful.”
Thieves savagely ripped through drywall and insulation in seven exam rooms, smashed showers, and destroyed rooms that were set to become lab space.
All, to strip the building of its copper plumbing.
Seven air conditioners were also destroyed and stripped, and humidifiers and a furnace were stolen, according to a police report.
Huddleston-Cameron struggles to understand why.
“We want to be a beacon of light if you will in the community,” she said.
Instead, she now feels uneasy coming to the building alone.
“I’m like is someone going to come in the door behind me?” said Huddleston-Cameron. “It’s just that feeling you’ve been violated. Someone has basically attacked you. And that’s how we feel.”
She hopes someone noticed something unusual around the building and will come forward to help police catch the thieves.
“Let judgment roll on like the river and justice like a mighty stream,” said Huddleston-Cameron. “That’s what the scripture says and that’s what I say.”
Because the business was not open yet, she said the building was not insured.
But despite the expense and delays caused by the damage, Huddleston-Cameron insists the thieves haven’t taken away the couple's grit and determination to make their dream a reality.
“I mean that’s what they want, right?” she said. “So no, we’re not giving them that. No.”
