Playa del Rey residents terrified as coyotes roam neighborhood

Coyotes spotted near LAX, Playa del Rey

Residents near LAX are spotting more and more coyotes in their neighborhoods.

LOS ANGELES - Neighbors in Playa del Rey are raising concerns about Coyotes. 

The construction of a new youth center near LAX has led to more sightings in and around residential areas, leaving dog owners and their dogs terrified.

It used to be extremely rare to see a coyote in Playa del Rey, but now neighbors say it's so frequent, they'll see them all times of the day. 

What they're saying:

"I’ve lived here 36 years and never seen coyotes until now. It’s not safe anywhere at any time of the day anymore," said resident Jacqui Fisher. 

Fearing for her little dogs, Eddie and Mojo, Fisher said she’s moving after too many close calls. 

"A friend was yelling ‘coyote, coyote!’ and I turned around and he was running down the sidewalk at 11:30 a.m. just one building away and had there not been another person there to help pick up my dogs one of them would’ve been taken by the coyote. I probably did the wrong thing but I did charge at him and he ran off. "

Across the street from her home near LAX, there was a field coyotes called home, but that changed a few months ago when construction started on a new youth center called Lulu’s Place.

With nowhere to run, the coyotes, now brazen and desperate for food, are spotted daily in apartment courtyards and even school baseball fields while kids play. 

Some people said they’ve already eaten many neighbors’ cats. 

"Obviously with a small dog it’s terrifying cause they can easily pick them up. My pervious dog was a pit staffie used to chase them down Westchester Parkway and that’s terrifying too because they have a pact mentality and they’ll draw them in," said neighbor Trevor Baierl. 

On social media, multiple posts show coyotes chasing half a dozen joggers and walkers – including Jazz Kemball’s mom, screaming down the street with their little dog Savannah in her arms.

"I have an airhorn and flashlight on standby in my pocket all the time," Jazz explained. 

Neighbors are begging the city to relocate the coyotes, but it’s illegal to move them from their natural habitat.

"I feel bad for the coyotes. They’re starving. They’re not going to take them out of their natural habitat, but they’re taking their natural habitat away from them," Fisher stated.