'She lit my car on fire': Downtown LA renters detail harrowing allegations against landlord

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Published  May 7, 2026 8:44am PDT
FOX 11
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Landlord faces criminal tenant harassment charges

Tenants claim Nela Petrusan verbally attacks them daily. 

The Brief

    • Apartment building owner Nela Petrusan appeared in court Wednesday facing criminal harassment charges following a series of disturbing allegations from tenants.
    • Tenants allege a pattern of verbal abuse and physical danger.
    • Denying the allegations, Petrusan claims the accusations are a response to her efforts to clean the building; meanwhile, the Los Angeles Tenants Union is calling for her removal and a city takeover of the property.

Nela Petrusan, the owner of a downtown Los Angeles apartment building on Wright Street, appeared in a courtroom Wednesday morning to face criminal charges for the alleged harassment of her tenants.

Allegations of abuse and arson

What we know:

Residents of the building describe a daily environment of fear and verbal hostility. Tenant Jacob alleges that Petrusan frequently shouts insults from behind her door. "Nela will be talking through her door, swearing at us, insulting us, calling us [expletives]... all sorts of weird crap," he said.

Beyond verbal abuse, the allegations turn physical. Tenant Daniel Zuniga claims Petrusan is responsible for destroying his property. "She has lit my car on fire and destroyed my car. This happened a few years ago," Zuniga said, adding that he has also been sprayed in the eyes with bear spray.

Petrusan denied the arson claims when questioned. "I've never lit any cars on fire," she said. "Show me the date and we’ll see. We’ll play all the cameras." While Zuniga provided video of two separate car fires, Petrusan is not visible in the footage.

Maintenance and safety concerns

In addition to claims of neglected repairs, tenants report aggressive behavior from Petrusan’s boyfriend and maintenance worker, Jeremy. Residents shared a photo with FOX 11 that appears to show a firearm in Jeremy’s pocket.

Jeremy denied the accusation, stating, "I’ve never owned a gun in my entire life. Ever."

Calls for city intervention

Petrusan maintains that she is being targeted for attempting to maintain the property. "There’s no habitability issue here," she argued. "All I do is clean here and they want to send me to jail for 20 years for trying to clean my apartments."

The Los Angeles Tenants Union has joined the fray, demanding that Petrusan be forced to move out of the building and that the city take over control of the property to ensure tenant safety.

What's next:

Petrusan is scheduled to return to court for her next hearing later this month.

Downtown LACrime and Public Safety