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Unionport mother says ceiling collapse ruined son’s Christmas

"My son's gifts got destroyed, his bed, and I just bought him this new mattress. Everything is just destroyed."

Natalie Hernandez

Dec 18, 2025, 10:19 PM

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Alexis Santiago had been dreaming of giving her son the perfect Christmas.

But those dreams came crashing down when the ceiling in her Unionport apartment collapsed, causing a pipe to burst and flooding the place she's called home since May.

Santiago says she had been complaining about a leaking, damaged ceiling since she moved in. She says the water got worse, causing her to worry for her child's safety.

"My son's gifts got destroyed, his bed, and I just bought him this new mattress. Everything is just destroyed," she said.

Santiago says she is focused on keeping her son safe and trying to hold onto what's left of their Christmas.

"We might live in the Bronx. It might not be the greatest area. But this is our home. We deserve to be safe," she says.

News 12 reached out to building management and hasn't heard back.

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