Abandoned South LA church burns for third time; neighbors say city ignored years of complaints

LOS ANGELES - An abandoned church in South Los Angeles has been torn down after what neighbors say was the third fire to occur at the building. Residents say they warned the city about squatters and fires for years.

What we know:

The vacant Pentecostal church sat on the 2600 block of South Paloma Street. Neighbors blame the fires on people who had been breaking into the building and living inside.

Raul Mendoza, who owns a home nearby, said people in the neighborhood called the city and police for years to complain about intruders on the property.

"Homeless people get in there, they sleep in there, they do their drugs in there. It’s just been a constant battle with the city," Mendoza said.

Another neighbor, Ricardo Hernandez Gonzales, said he called the city several times to report a group of homeless people starting fires at the church. "We had already made reports and everything," he said in Spanish. He said nothing was done.

What they're saying:

Mendoza said officials told neighbors they couldn’t act because they didn’t want to violate the rights of the people staying inside.

"Unfortunately, the homeless people have more rights than the taxpayers do," Mendoza said.

Mario Ecung, who owns several homes on the block, said people gathering at the church late at night worried him for years. He’s glad to see the building gone.

"As you can see, the homes on this block are in good repair, so somebody cares," Ecung said. "It’s long overdue. The city and the mayor’s office and City Council should have been taking care of this property 13-plus years ago."

Mayor Karen Bass’s office issued the following statement:

"We have taken legal action against the property owner and will work with the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety to ensure that this is cleaned up as soon as possible this week. Mayor Bass has called for $2 million in funding to be allocated by the City Council to clean and secure priority properties across Los Angeles, including extremely dangerous properties like this one. The funding motion is scheduled to be heard in PLUM committee this week."

What's next:

The City Council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee is scheduled to consider the mayor’s $2 million funding request this week. The mayor’s office says it expects the property to be cleaned up this week.

What we don't know:

Officials have not said what caused the fires. The mayor’s office did not say who owns the property or what kind of legal action the city has taken.