Woman Who Blocked Black Man From Entering Condo Complex Speaks Out

White woman who blocked black man from his own apartment building speaks out

A Missouri white woman who was dubbed "Key Fob Kelly" by social media users after she was seen trying to block a black man from entering his own apartment building in a viral video online is speaking out in a new interview to defend her actions. 

In an interview with KTVI-TV, Hilary Mueller said she was only following the condo association's guidelines for residents on letting unfamiliar people into the building. 

"When I noticed an individual that I did not know here, my only thought was to follow directions I had been given by condo association board members repeatedly; and that’s to never allow access to anyone that you don’t know," she said.

D'Arreion Toles recorded video of his encounter with Mueller at the Elder Shirt Lofts after returning home from work late, posting it to Facebook last week with the caption, "To Be A Black man in America, & come home."  

In the video, Mueller can be seen blocking Toles' entrance and repeatedly asking him which unit he lived in and to see his key fob. 

“I simply asked if he lived there because the direction from the association is … that if you don’t know the person, you don’t let them in,” Mueller told KTVI.

Eventually, Toles is able to get past her as Mueller continues to follow him up to his fourth-floor loft, as she continues to demand to know who he's "going to see" and "why he's there." 

Mueller says Toles was attempting to enter the building and that she left the main door open because she was taking her dog for a walk. 

“It’s the only indicator any resident has that they live in the building and he wouldn’t answer me,” she said. “He would not show me one.”

In the three videos posted to Facebook, Toles can be heard repeatedly asking Mueller to stop following him, even as he used his keys to open the door to his apartment. Toles said Mueller later called 911 on him after their encounter and police arrived about 30 minutes following the incident to ask him about it. 

In the interview, Mueller denies being racist, saying she was only trying to follow the rules. 

“My only intent was to follow the direction I had been given by our condo association board members repeatedly,” Mueller said. “And that is to never allow access to any individual that you do not know.”

Mueller was let go by her employer, Tribeca-STL, following the viral video. In a statement posted to its website, the company said they were aware of the video and that she had been terminated. 

"The Tribeca-STL family is a minority-owned company that consists of employees and residents from many racial backgrounds," the statement continued. "We are proud of this fact and do not and never will stand for racism or racial profiling at our company."

People were quick to draw comparisons to several other recent viral videos that appear to show a white person confronting - and occasionally calling police on - a black person who is going about their normal business. 


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