Residents in a Hollywood neighborhood are pleading with city officials to intervene after they say two vacant buildings have been taken over by squatters, bringing dangerous criminal activity to the area.
The empty buildings located on Wilton Place have attracted a constant stream of transients who residents said have overtaken the neighborhood.
“It’s a nightmare right now,” said Jeane Rice, a neighbor. “It’s a lot of noise, a lot of drug activity, a lot of criminal activity and it’s very dangerous.”
Rice lives in a building located between the two vacant properties. She tells KTLA’s Ellina Abovian that squatters and homeless people constantly walk around unclothed and cause trouble while loitering around.
Residents said that despite repeatedly calling the police and even reaching out to city leaders for help, nothing has changed.
One neighbor said every day she looks out her second-story window, she can spot the general debris and even remnants from several fires allegedly ignited by the transients.
“It’s not only drugs, but guns,” another neighbor said. “There were snuff films, all these windows, before they were boarded up, had all kinds of porn and snuff film posters on it.”
One of the operating buildings on the street is reportedly receiving government subsidies to house homeless residents, but neighbors told KTLA that building management isn’t doing enough to maintain safety standards.
Regarding the two vacant buildings, KTLA received a statement from L.A. City Councilmember Hugo Soto Martinez’s office that confirmed they are working on a possible solution.
“This property has become a serious concern for neighbors, and we’re taking urgent action through multiple routes to address this public safety matter as quickly as possible,” the statement read. “First, our office is coordinating with the Department of Building and Safety to begin the formal process of declaring this property as a public nuisance. The case is expected to go before the Board of Building and Safety Commissioners in May. If approved, the City can place a lien and take immediate steps to secure the site ourselves.“
Neighbors said they just want to feel safe in their neighborhood again. They’re asking for additional police patrols and are seeking possible legal representation.
“They were talking about implementing security on the ground, which I think is absolutely essential,” a neighbor said. “It needs to be done now, not later. They keep talking about doing this or that, but the thing is, we can’t wait anymore. This is an urgent matter. Our lives are at risk.”
The post ‘Our lives are at risk’: Hollywood neighborhood overrun by squatters, criminal activity appeared first on KTLA.
