Disclaimer: This article is based on the firsthand statements and allegations of Shirley Esparza. KGTX 7 has not independently verified these claims. All parties named have been given the opportunity to respond.

GALVESTON — A Galveston woman is speaking out about what she describes as a traumatic series of events involving unsafe rental conditions and a serious fall that left her with major injuries. Shirley Esparza, who is currently on disability, alleges that a combination of housing concerns — including a shared utility room, flea infestations, and a poorly lit stairwell — led to long-term physical and financial hardship.

Her story begins in 2023 while renting from local landlord Chad Schomberg. Esparza says a utility room connected to her apartment posed an immediate safety concern. According to her, the room was accessible to multiple tenants and separated from her apartment by just one interior door — with her grandson’s bedroom located only six to eight feet away.

“At all hours of the night, we’d hear people in there. The exterior entrance was often left unlocked,” Esparza said. “I was a single woman raising a child — I didn’t feel safe.”

In response, Schomberg said the lease clearly stated that the laundry room was to be shared between the upstairs and downstairs units only and emphasized that “no other people were ever using the laundry room.”

“This is just how the duplex was created and how all prior tenants have utilized it,” Schomberg told KGTX 7. He added that the laundry area had its own exterior entrance and that Esparza had a separate door with a bolt for entry into her own unit.

Esparza said she changed the lock on the shared laundry area based on advice from someone she believed was a lawyer named “Amber Morrison.” She later discovered the person was impersonating a real Texas attorney.

Editor’s Note: Amber Morrison is a licensed Texas attorney and was not involved in this matter. Law enforcement has confirmed that a suspect falsely using her name has been taken into custody.

Esparza stated that she notified Schomberg about the lock change due to her safety concerns, but claims he told her to remove it immediately.

“He didn’t consider the situation I was in. Other tenants had keys to the room and could access it — and my unit was providing the electricity,” she said.

Schomberg acknowledged that the shared laundry room was connected to her unit’s electrical system but clarified that this arrangement ultimately caused Section 8 to revoke her housing voucher.

“The City of Galveston found out there was a shared laundry, and that her unit’s electricity was being used,” Schomberg said. “They terminated the voucher because it wasn’t compliant. I didn’t receive advance payments from Shirley beyond the time she was living there.”

Regarding utility use, Esparza said she believed others used the laundry room at her expense, citing one instance where a visitor brought in baskets of clothes to wash.

She also described a persistent flea infestation in both the utility room and the adjacent bedroom. “I had a bug zapper in the room, and all you’d hear day and night was zap-zap-zap,” she said. “My grandson couldn’t sleep in there. At one point, my 6-month-old granddaughter was in that apartment before we realized how bad it was.”

Esparza said Schomberg once told her that fleas “only live 120 days without a bloodline.” Her response: “Well, we’re the bloodline. I have pictures of flea bites on my hand.”

“I hired and paid for a professional exterminator to do a full flea treatment,” Schomberg responded, adding that Esparza had reported the issue before moving in. “I took it seriously and acted immediately.”

A Change in Location

After nearly a year at the duplex, Esparza moved out on June 29, 2023, and relocated to another apartment complex on the island. But in November, another tragedy struck.

“It was just after daylight saving time ended, and the stairwell outside was pitch black,” she recalled.

On November 6, 2024, Esparza fell down the stairs outside her new apartment, sustaining a shattered knee and a femur broken in two places. Doctors described the damage as blunt-force trauma.

“It looked like someone had taken a hammer to my leg,” Esparza said.

She underwent surgery to have hardware installed in her right leg and is still recovering.

“As of May 9, 2025, I’m only 50% weight-bearing. I use crutches, a walker, and sometimes a wheelchair,” she said. “My left leg hurts now from compensating.”

Esparza said the injury disrupted her grandson’s routine. He had recently earned a gray-and-white belt in jujitsu, but she could no longer take him to practice.

“My daughter-in-law takes him to the bus stop in the mornings, but in the afternoon he has to walk home alone.”

She’s now seeking a pro bono attorney to help her understand her rights.

“I just want justice,” Esparza said. “It feels like everything’s been stacked against me.”

Following Schomberg’s response, Esparza followed up with KGTX 7, disputing several of his claims. “Nowhere in my lease did it state the laundry was shared, nor that I would be responsible for paying electricity for others,” she said. Esparza added that, in addition to the upstairs tenant, guests of a rear Airbnb bungalow were also granted access to the laundry, effectively turning it into a “community facility.”

Esparza also shared a photo showing her belongings in the apartment on March 21, 2023, along with an email in which Schomberg allegedly acknowledged receiving four months’ rent in advance. “I gave him four months upfront because he was leaving to live the RV life,” she said. “My portion was $208 a month, and I still have my lease.” Email on file with KGTX 7.

At the time of publication, no lawsuits or arrest have been made. KGTX will continue to follow this story, and provide any updates as they come in.

Story by Stephen Bernardoni