In the wake of a teenager’s death after falling from a parking garage in downtown Gilbert's Heritage District, residents are urging swift action from Gilbert officials.
Mubasher Masood, 19, fell more than 50 feet from a parking garage on the east side of downtown. Masood was allegedly intoxicated when arriving at the garage with friends. Police report he lost balance when lifting himself onto a 4-foot ledge of the garage’s top wall. Masood died after being rushed to the hospital.
Tuesday marked the second instance in two months where residents pleaded with Town Council to address safety concerns at Heritage District parking garages.
During the public comment portion of the council meeting, resident Bridget Vega expressed frustration over the lack of action.
"A 19-year-old fell from the top of the garage last night and we've had this conversation with multiple officers and said, when are you guys gonna do something?” Vega said. “Are you gonna wait till somebody else dies?"
Residents are demanding immediate measures to enhance safety, including upgrades to surveillance cameras in the garages and external assistance in investigating the incidents.
The parking garage where Masood fell is close to another Gilbert-owned garage where multiple instances of teen violence have occurred. In April, two juveniles were arrested more than a year after police say they threw a fire extinguisher from that garage’s roof, striking a man below.
