Neighbors in Rock Hill carry guns to protect against a woman's death

ROCK HILL, SC (WBTV) – Rock Hill Police are investigating the death of a woman found in her home just a few miles from downtown on Saturday.

When they managed to get inside, investigators say they found the unidentified woman … and it appeared she had been attacked.

“For us there is no American dream anymore, it really doesn’t exist,” said Ann-Lewis Bisesi, who lives in the Cauthan Street area.

She explained that as the economy changed, so did her neighborhood.

“Guns and shooting and different things of that nature,” Lewis Bisesi said.

She said she had neighbors who smuggled drugs, heard gunfire around the clock and even committed murder.

“The whole neighborhood has changed,” Bisesi said. “It’s starting to get a little scary.”

The final blow to the neighborhood came Saturday evening. Police responded to a welfare check at a home but were unable to enter.

After waiting for a contractor to open the door, they found a dead 53-year-old woman inside. According to investigators, she appeared to have been attacked.

“I never have a problem, it’s a quiet area.”

Previous: Rock Hill woman found dead, investigation ongoing

Hector Amau has lived in the neighborhood for five years. He said it was a nice place to live but admitted he avoids certain sections of the road.

“Then I want to turn around first so I don’t avoid anyone,” said Amau.

Many people we spoke to didn't have such a positive view of the area. A woman who was too afraid to show her face showed me the knife she carries with her every time she goes outside for protection. Bisesi says this is pretty common.

“People have guns, people have knives, people have sticks,” she said.

But what people want most is the assurance that things will eventually get better.

“I never want to see anything wrong, I never have a problem. “This is a quiet area,” emphasized Amau.

“You can't be afraid, if you're afraid, the element wins. We don’t want the element to win,” said another neighbor.

Neighbors said they hope for increased police patrols to make the area quieter.

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