A broken elevator inside the Davey Condominiums in Bridgeport has left more than a dozen seniors and people with disabilities stranded without a way to leave the building.

Sen.-elect Herron Gaston stood in solidarity Wednesday with residents at the Bridgeport condo complex where a broken elevator has left many of them stranded in their apartments.

Gaston says the frequent elevator breakdowns at the Davey Condominiums on Boston Avenue led to a diabetic man dying in June of 2019 as a direct result of an elevator outage. He says the man could not get to his doctor because of the broken elevator.

Gaston says elevator service at the complex has once again been out the past couple of weeks, leaving 13 residents who are either seniors or who have disabilities unable to get out of the building because they can't use the stairs.

Gaston says the latest outage is expected to extend through the holiday season and that he doesn't want anymore "tragic outcomes."

Cynthia Gonzalez says she has congestive heart failure and depends on an asthma pump.

"This is hard because if you suffer from congestive heart failure, you can barely breathe," she said.

Gonzalez says by the time she reaches her apartment on the top floor, she is exhausted from taking the stairs.

She says the elevator is not expected to be back in service until after the holidays.

"Access by elevator is a fundamental right that these individuals are entitled to," said Gaston.

William Gonzalez also lives on the top floor, and he just had his left toe amputated. He says they're essentially prisoners in their apartments, unable to get to medical appointments, the pharmacy or stores.

News 12 reached out to the property manager at the building who said, "Because the elevator has been malfunctioning, it has been shut down for safety reasons...in compliance with state regulations. Parts are on order but supply-chain issues...are delaying the repair process. The condo board is investigating the possibility of installing a new elevator but doing so will stop elevator service in the building for at least two months. We apologize for the inconvenience and will keep you updated on our progress."