Sumner Houses resident: 'I pray for God to protect me'
By Simone Weichselbaum DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Too often, 89-year-old Isabell Johnson transforms from a spry churchgoing senior into a timid prisoner afraid of her Brooklyn apartment building.

After 29 years in the Sumner Houses in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Johnson knows better than to use the stairway - a breeding ground for young attackers looking for elderly prey.

When she hears both elevators are broken inside 56 Marcus Garvey Blvd., she waits. Sometimes hours, sometimes days. She is locked in her third-floor apartment by herself, praying for the moment she can return to a normal life.

"Every time you turn around there is something wrong," she said. "It is hard when you live alone."

At least once a week, one elevator is out of service, Johnson said. Both elevators are broken at least once a month.

Johnson walks with a limp due to severe foot pain on her left side. Relying on a cane, she is too slow to walk down a flight of stairs without worry.

If the stairs are the only option, Johnson calls relatives for an escort. If no one can help, she calls out to the heavens.

"I pray for God to protect me and keep me out of harm's way," she said.