Lawndale residents battling Metro over grave in backyard where expansion is planned

Homeowners battle Metro over backyard graves

Residents in Lawndale are in a battle with city and Metro officials, as they say graves have been found in their backyards, where a new Metro Line expansion is proposed.

LAWNDALE, Calif. - Some Lawndale residents are in a battle with Metro, hoping the discovery of graves in their backyards will stop a proposed Metro expansion.

Residents were under the impression that Metro officials would be coming to the area Monday morning to look at the graves, but that wasn't the case. Rather, officials were there to survey property lines and check anomalies on the Torrance Logistic pipelines beneath the Metro right of way off Artesia Boulevard near 170th Street. The strip of land is where Metro is hoping to extend its C Line to Torrance.

Residents have opposed the extension, citing things like the grave Jay Gould found in his neighbor's backyard, for a Jewish World War II veteran named Earl Hoffman, who died on Dec. 14, 1951.

Metro did not say specifically what anomalies they were searching for in the neighborhood Monday, but said in a statement that "The inspection and repairs will involve removing land encroachments that have been previously built in the right of way and are blocking access to the pipeline."

"The Metro, you know, they have no respect for anyone, and they just want to get their project through," Gould said.

Homeowner finds graves in backyard

A Lawndale homeowner finds a shallow grave in his backyard.

Residents say Metro is less worried about the graves, than about building their extension, and have alleged that they've been threatened for trying to fight the expansion.

"My wall is permitted, and now they're going to come tear it down," Gould said, or a backyard retaining wall. "And the guy that said he was going to tear it down, he also said they're going to tear it down — it's a two-foot wall — and they're going to charge me $1 million. And then they're going to [put a] lein [on] my apartment."

In a statement to FOX 11, Metro said they will work with the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner to properly deal with the graves. The California Health Code has very strict guidelines on finding human remains. Residents however say they have no faith at all in what Metro has been telling them.

Ground search radar is expected in the area on Tuesday morning.