Walgreens promises to fix lighting issues after customers turn to ABC-13 for help

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The parking lot of a Third Ward Walgreens has been in the dark for about a month. One customer says the chain hasn't taken action on her concerns, so she called Eyewitness News.

Vickie Byrd says she's been coming to the Walgreens at Almeda and Southmore several times a week since it opened more than 20 years ago. But her stops got a little dark lately.

"I talked to management. They said it's been reported and I was told that the lighting or the fixtures to repair it, they're not able to get. And I just don't take that for an answer," Byrd says.

So she called corporate and says she got the runaround. Then she posted a video clip to Walgreens' Facebook page. She tells us someone responded, but the lights are still out.

"I'm concerned about the safety of the community. I'm concerned about the safety of myself," she says. "I come so often, I know the staff. I'm concerned about their safety."

Houston police tell us there have been 14 calls for service to the store in the last six months. Those calls range from an assault, to a suspicious person, and a disturbance. Combine these stats with the lights being out, and there's good reason for concern. But Byrd hasn't stopped shopping here.

"I come because it's in my community, and I don't have to curtail my activities because of this. I expect Walgreens to do their part, and they're responsible," she said.

A Walgreens spokesman says it appears the lights went out in early to mid-July. He said, "We're not sure what went wrong or what took so long, but we apologize it's taken so long to correct the issue."

After our calls, a crew replaced a part that controls the outside lights. The lights came on briefly Thursday evening, but went back off.