One of our readers reports that there is a vacant house in her neighborhood that has become a problem with the local gang members squatting and dealing drugs from it, at 4917 W. Kent Ave., in Santa Ana.
Our reader said that the problem was resolved – at a very basic level – in August 2014; however, recently gangbangers have again been again eyeing the house. Apparently this past Saturday, the front door of the house was found by neighbors to be wide open.
To make matters worse, the gangbangers have allegedly been bothering the neighbors and scaring the local children.
Our reader also reported that two gangbangers were imprisoned for gang theft regarding this house, in 2014. But the criminals got out of prison fairly quickly and are now dealing drugs at this vacant house and others in town.
Neighbors are at their wits’ end. They say that the owner of the house, a man from Anaheim, has said that he has Lyme Disease and he is essentially MIA. Reportedly his water bill is now up to $15K due to a prior bill run up by the tenants who took off without paying their bill. Then the gangbangers broke the lock off the water meter and ran up the bill some more.
The neighbors have so far received no help from City Hall. Keep in mind that we have the highest paid City Manager in the State of California, David Cavazos. He recently got a raise and a bonus and he gave a raise to all of his top Executives.
How is this city supposed to move forward if City Hall and our police department can’t keep the gangbangers in line?
The property in question is ringed by schools including St. Barbara School, Fitz Intermediate School and Newhope Elementary School, in Santa Ana’s Ward 6, which is represented by Councilman Sal Tinajero.