Officials from the Los Angeles Police Department and several other government agencies on Wednesday entered a Sun Valley property that a hoarder had turned into an unlicensed dump filled with rusting vehicles and hazardous waste.
The hoarder, identified as David Ferrera, 50, was arrested by Los Angeles police on an outstanding warrant Tuesday night on suspicion of misdemeanor theft, according to police and booking records. His bail was set at $155,000.
The six-acre property on the fire road at La Tuna Canyon Road has been the subject of neighbor complaints for years, to no avail. But after The Times reported the story earlier this month, authorities took immediate action.
Elena Malone, who lives next door, said she has contacted nearly a dozen agencies in recent years for help, including the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Fire Department, the city’s Department of Building and Safety, the state Environmental Protection Agency officers and other agencies arrived Wednesday morning and searched the property.
Ferreira’s mother, Mary, who owns the property, said her son fell into mental illness and hoarding behavior after a 2017 wildfire destroyed many of his belongings. She told the Times she paid to remove 21 dump truck loads of trash, only to have her son refill the house with the scavenged items.
The fire department obtained a search warrant this week to inspect the property with the goal of declaring it a public nuisance, City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez said at a news conference Wednesday. That will allow the city to take more action, she said.
A Superior Court commissioner criticized the city’s failure to help neighbors earlier this year, calling the lack of response “incredible.”
Rodriguez acknowledged Wednesday that her office has been aware of the problem since 2019.
“There were a number of issues with this particular property that we became aware of as we worked with the Department of Building and Safety to seek solutions,” Rodriguez said.
She also pointed to the jailing of Marie Ferreira earlier this year, which she said was too short to be effective. The 80-year-old retired teacher was sentenced to 180 days in jail for failing to clear the land, but was released less than 24 hours later.
Rodriguez on Wednesday described the multi-agency presence at the property as an “all hands on deck” effort to “better assess the condition of the property.”
Malone said she was pleased with the government’s response this week.
“Fifteen LAPD guys just walked up the driveway,” she said.
But after years of seeking help, she remains cautious. “The end result is likely to be small.”
Marie Ferreira did not respond to a message seeking comment.