RESIDENTS of the apartment building where a maintenance man broke into Miya Marcano's apartment shortly before she went missing slammed the building's owners for the "disgusting" security breach.

"Us not knowing who is entering our apartment or who has access to our apartment at any given time, we have to keep our guard up 24/7 and that's not okay," resident and University of Central Florida student Eryn Rutherford told WESH2.

Fellow student Julia Veiga also told the outlet: "It's disgusting that we have had to take it into our own hands!"

Miya, 19, vanished from the Arden Villas apartments in Orange County, Florida on September 24 shortly after Armando Caballero, a maintenance man at the building, used a master key fob to enter her room.

Her remains were found on October 2 in a wooded area near the Tymber Skan apartments, where Caballero also worked.

Caballero, 27, was found dead of a suspected suicide on September 27.

'HARD TO BELIEVE'

It comes as the Marcano family is speaking to Arden Villas residents to compile a case of negligence against the building's owners.

Daryl K. Washington, the Marcano family's attorney, exclusively told The Sun: "The family just wishes that Arden Villas would have taken the proper steps to ensure Miya's safety and all others at the apartment complex.

"We know [Arden Villas] claims they conducted a background check on [Caballero] and stated nothing came back on it.

"We find that hard to believe and we want to know what company they utilized and why they didn’t come up with any hits on the person."

Read our Miya Marcano live blog for the very latest news and updates…

He continued: "This is a loss of life that could have easily been prevented.

"I think you have young ladies all across the county going to sleep at night in fear, knowing that there are apartment complexes giving predators free access to their apartments. 

"No person should have to pay to live in fear."

In response to the case, Florida State Senator Linda Stewart said she may refile a 2018 bill that would have required landlords to mandate background screenings for employees.

"I've got a lot of questions," she said.

"It's difficult to force people to do things, but in this instance, it might be necessary."

DESPERATE SEARCH

Local authorities believe Caballero entered Miya's apartment at around 4:30pm on the day she was reported missing, a half hour before she was scheduled to finish work.

When the apartment was later searched, the door to the bedroom had been blocked, the bedroom window was unlocked, and blood was found on a pillow.

Miya's father Marcon wrote on Instagram that her apparent showed "signs of a struggle in her apartment – and she may be in danger."

The morning after Miya's disappearance, her aunt Semone Westmaas says she was approached by Caballero outside the Arden Villas.

Westmaas said Caballero told her: "I heard you're looking for Miya."

When asked who he was, Caballero replied: "I’m the maintenance guy. I heard you’re looking for me."

Marlon Marcano also asked Caballero if he had heard from Miya.

Miya's cousin Caili Sue told The Sun in an exclusive interview that he seemed "quite nervous," and claimed that he last saw Miya at 3pm on September 24.

Police later issued a warrant for Caballero's arrest and found him hanging from a garage at a different apartment complex in Seminole County in an apparent suicide.

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