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Lexington Park drawing safety complaints
Neighbors say Lexington Pocket Park in Hollywood has become unsafe due to drug activity, gang graffiti and unsanitary conditions.
LOS ANGELES - Neighbors living near a small city park in Hollywood say it has become a serious safety concern, pointing to illegal drug use, gang graffiti and human waste — along with what they describe as a troubling connection to fentanyl.
Residents say Lexington Pocket Park, located just off the 101 freeway and Lexington Avenue, is no longer a safe place for children or families. They report frequent drug activity, people living inside the park and graffiti, including what appears to be an MS-13 gang symbol painted on playground equipment.
"You would not have your child play in that," said Sabine Phillips, who lives nearby. "It’s nice to have a park here, but there’s no oversight at all."
FOX 11 crews visiting the park observed trash and piles of human waste throughout the area, creating a strong odor that neighbors say spread across the block.
The park drew increased attention following the September 2022 death of 15-year-old Melanie Ramos, who died after a fentanyl overdose at nearby Bernstein High School. Authorities later linked the drugs she took to activity associated with the Lexington Park area, according to previous law enforcement statements.
According to Phillips, safety concerns have only grown since then. "There was a deadly shooting just a few months ago," she said.
Neighbors also say the park is supposed to be locked overnight but often remains open. FOX 11 observed a padlock on the gate with visible cobwebs, suggesting it had not been used recently.
"When I talk to people in this neighborhood, they all tell me the same thing," Phillips said. "We don’t go to that park. Nobody can go there."
Community leaders say Lexington Pocket Park is part of a larger issue affecting small parks across Los Angeles. Similar concerns have been raised at MacArthur Park, Westwood Park and North Hollywood Park, where residents have reported drug activity, encampments and violent encounters.
"We have all these pocket parks around the city that aren’t being maintained," said Colter Carlisle, vice president of the East Hollywood Neighborhood Council. "They end up being drug dens or places for gangs to hang out."
In a statement to FOX 11, a spokesperson for Los Angeles City Council District 13, represented by Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez, said the Department of Recreation and Parks services Lexington Pocket Park daily and that the council office is actively working with the department to explore potential changes in use for the park.
Neighbors say they are now circulating a petition calling for the park to be shut down or repurposed. Until that happens, they worry the problems will continue.