A local California man is taking things into his own hands to give residents a clearer view of growing homeless encampments overrunning the county. Johnny Perez spends his free time as a drone pilot grabbing snapshots of "encampment after encampment."
"It's a little scary even to see from the air," he says. Perez runs an Instagram account @dyingcalifornia that gives a birds eye view of multiple locations hosting 30-plus tents. The intent is to get people riled up enough to force council members to actually do something.
An area near the Northridge mall caught his attention as the trash borders a health hazard and the base sits above the LA River.
"I can see the trash from the air but I don't know what's in there. I can only imagine whatever they produce — people use the restroom, drug use," he said. "That same Chatsworth wash connects with the river by Griffith Park which is what the mayor promotes for kayaking. It's the same river, man. I don't want to go kayaking."
To fix the homeless issue, Perez says that the city needs to, "Just enforce the laws, enforce parking laws, enforce vehicle dwelling laws," he said. "Enforce trash and littering laws. Just irritate them. Either it will force them out or they'll stop."