For nearly two years, the owners of 205 Beverly St. claim they have been the victims of intense harassment and violence from a squatter they originally tried to help.
Back in 2022, Kim MacDonald noticed an individual living in the bushes near Beverly Street selling cigarettes to the people in the neighbourhood and offered him a helping hand.
"I felt bad and offered him a place to stay. We even got him a job," said MacDonald. "I never thought that we would be put through hell for helping someone."
For over a year, the individual's relationship with MacDonald had devolved into verbal altercations, as he refused to leave the property after it was put up for sale.
MacDonald claims he would put his own locks on the fences and doors around the property limiting access to the realtor and potential buyers of the property.
"He was stealing stuff from all over Cambridge and bringing it back and putting it in this shed," she said. "I called police and they said they can't do anything about it, because we can't prove that it was stolen."
Things started to turn violent as yelling matches turned to threats and then MacDonald had her tires slashed. Police responded to the house for the slashed tires and helped MacDonald, but did not arrest the individual.
"Him not being arrested then doesn't make any sense to me. We had multiple witnesses who saw him do it and they didn't do anything. I understand their hands are tied, but he is violent," she added.
Only a few days later, police responded again to the Beverly Street home and found MacDonald covered in bruises after being attacked.
"He took a fence door and just kept hitting me with it," she said. "I begged him to stop and he just laughed at me."
MacDonald claims she was pinned in between two fences and was viciously attacked, breaking her hip and sending her to the hospital.
"He tried to kill me and I think he would have done it," said MacDonald as her voice started to break. "He threatened to throw gas on me and burn me alive and pour battery acid on my face."
Waterloo Regional Police Services confirm to CambridgeToday that a 38-year-old Cambridge man was arrested on Nov. 21.
"Police responded to a report of an assault that took place on Beverly Street in Cambridge. As a result of the investigation, a 38-year-old Cambridge male was arrested and charged with assault with a weapon, assault and uttering threats. The accused was held for a bail hearing," said Bradley Hickey information officer with WRPS in an email to CambridgeToday.
Police did not respond to questions as to why he wasn't arrested before the assault for trespassing on the property and squatting at the residence.
MacDonald said she is lucky to be alive and prays that her attacker is never released from prison.
"I can't even look at my body I am black and blue all over," she said. "If he gets out he is going to kill us. If he gets out I'm gone. There is no way I'm going to let him hurt me again."
This entire situation has traumatized MacDonald and she fears leaving the house, because she might run into her attacker. Even the thought of helping people who are in need scares her, because of the actions of one person.
"I know not all homeless people are like this, but I don't think I can help anyone else for a long time," said MacDonald. "Let's hope he never gets out, because who knows who else he might hurt."
