More people have been arrested outside of the viral abandoned high rise building in downtown Los Angeles that made headlines after video of nearly every floor covered in graffiti made news headlines earlier in February.
“In the last 24 hours, there have been multiple arrests of people exiting the ‘PRIVATE PROPERTY’ of Oceanside Plaza,” said post on X from the Los Angeles Police Department. “Multiple spray paint cans and an illegal firearm have been recovered during these arrests.”
Related: 27 floors of abandoned luxury high-rises vandalized in Downtown Los Angeles
The building, located at 12th Street and S. Flower Street, has drawn the attention of many Angelenos in recent weeks, some who view the dozens of stories of graffiti as a work of art, and others who see it as an eyesore — all visible from the nearby I-10 Freeway.
LAPD Chief Michel Moore responded to the post on his personal account, noting that “Our people remain at the site as the City mobilizes resources to remove the graffiti and fortify the location.”
He says that their ongoing efforts are to prevent a “tragic fall” or “other calamity.”
“This isn’t art. It’s a crime,” he said.
It remains unclear exactly how many people were arrested over the weekend.
Just last week, four people were arrested for allegedly trespassing at the site. They have since been identified as Sebastian Gutierrez, 29, Andrew Rios, 30, Mauro Aguilar, 35, and Jessie Carreon, 44.
The week prior, two people were arrested on suspicion of trespassing as well.
Los Angeles city leaders are taking steps to purse legal action against the building’s developer, who is based in China. They are also working to remove the graffiti.
Work on the group of towers came to a sudden halt in 2019 after the developer reportedly encountered financial troubles.
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