We were recently sent an email from a listener who is in desperate need of change in her neighborhood. Her name is Rebecca, and she's worked downtown for over 20 years, and has seen first hand how the homeless crisis is ruining Los Angeles. She also told us that she believes it's her civic duty to get her story out, because it's only a matter of time before it happens to someone else...
Read Rebecca's story below:
I have worked as a professional in the downtown area for over 20 years and have witnessed the homeless issue rise to a fever pitch. However on Tuesday 6/11 I was personally affected by this issue.
As I was driving home on my usual route on Alameda, I was stopped at the stop sign on Alameda and Washington. I heard a noise and looked over and an African American man in wheelchair with one leg was beating a sign on the street with a crowbar. I could feel this man was very angry and aggressive so I quickly looked away. However, he must have caught my eye looking at him and the next thing I knew he yelled an expletive at me and hurled a crowbar at my window.
He did over $4,000 of damage to my car... had the crowbar went through my front window passenger side, I would have been riddled with glass.
Below are the pics of the damages.
I quickly pulled over and called 911 as I watched him roll himself away.
When the police showed up, two other men from businesses nearby ran out to tell the police this man was a constant in the area and he was always at the gas station across the street bothering people and was a known menace in the area
The policeman took a quick ride around the block in his car to see if he could find the guy, but was reluctant to walk on foot with me to find him... He said that after he took my report, he would go back and look for him and that a detective would be in touch with me as this man had committed a felony assault with a deadly weapon.
Five days later, I have not even been contacted by police.
On Friday 6/14 on that same route home I saw the man on the street on Alameda and 14th. He was in the middle of the street begging cars that drove by for money. I pulled into the gas station at the corner and called 911. After a 1/2 hour and 3 calls to 911 the police finally showed up! By that time the man had wheeled himself behind the gas station. The gas station attendant had told me that there was no way out from behind the gas station so if the police looked for him there they would likely find him.
Again, the police seemed to be very reluctant to look for this man. They asked me if I wanted him arrested if they found him..I said yes..he committed a felony!
They then proceeded to tell me that if they arrested him he would most likely spend the weekend in jail and go to court Monday and then be released as the courts and jails don't really keep these people! They also mentioned that a lot of people would ask me if I really wanted to put a homeless man in jail...
As I drove away I saw the police put their sirens on and drive down the road for maybe twenty seconds..but they NEVER went behind the gas station where I told them the man went and they NEVER got out on foot to look for him. I actually saw them pulling into the Starbucks across the street.
I think my story is outrageous and because I work downtown and I'm subjected to this every day like many others I feel it is my civic duty to get this story out there. It's just a matter of time before this man is violent again and our law enforcement do nothing!