La Tuna Canyon residents concerned over hoarding, toxic soil at neighbor's home

LOS ANGELES - Neighbors say they've been complaining to local, state and even federal authorities about what they called a dangerous hoarding nightmare for years. 

The six-acre property off La Tuna Canyon is covered with vehicles, batteries and junk. According to a 2021 report from the Environmental Protection Agency, there are 114 vehicles, including some which may have been stolen, according to the California Highway Patrol, dismantled car batteries, leaking high-voltage power equipment and practice munitions that a disposal team from Camp Pendleton had to render safe. 

Fire officials have responded to repeated fires on the property, but can't get through the front entrance, which is blocked by vehicles.

"They're not willing to clear the property until the cars, over 109 cars on the property, are removed," said neighbor Elena Malone. "CHP has found five cars that are of interest, either stolen or involved in a robbery on the property. They will not remove the cars because it's dangerous for them to go on the property."

"The fire marshal comes out here yearly and checks my brush clearance, and every time they're here I say, 'Well, okay, so I'm stopping my brush clearance at my property. What about the adjoining property,'" said Josh Ryan, another neighbor. "He goes, 'Oh yeah, well, I'm not going to go on that property.'"

Neighbors said the man who lives on the property is described as a mentally ill hoarder by his 80-year-old mother who owns the property, but does not live there. She was sentenced to 180 days in jail after repeated attempts by the Los Angeles City Attorney to get her to clean up the property, which she has tried to do, only to see her son fil it with stuff again.

Tests on soil samples and a stream bed near the property revealed high levels of arsenic, lead, cobalt and other substances that exceed federal safety standards. Because of those levels, the EPA has concluded that a cleanup would be complicated in the area, which is at high-risk for fires. 

The 2017 La Tuna Canyon Fire is still fresh in residents' minds. The fire quickly exploded into the largest fire in city limits in over a decade, with several homes destroyed. The hoarding situation at this property is much worse than it was in 2017, neighbors say, who fear for the safety of their property and the people living in them.

"That property has caught fire four times in the last five years," said neighbor Scout Raskin. "Every time it catches fire, the fire department personnel cannot get the trucks back here."

Neither the property owner nor her son has responded to FOX 11's request for comment.

City officials say they are aware of the situation on the property. In a statement to FOX 11, Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez said she was at the site on Monday, and "has engaged city departments on immediate next steps post court actions."