In the predawn hours, Thursday, another neighbor walking his dog, offered to call the police for a man without pants who was standing outside one of the cars. The man declined. As soon as I learned of the incident, word was sent to LAPD Senior Lead Officer Lenny Davis, CD13 and adjacent neighbors, including Rose Scharlin Co-op Nursery School.
Longtime neighbors know the signs of abandoned stolen cars. While the canyon is not a common place to dump stolen cars, it has happened in the past. Often, neighbors have reported stolen cars abandoned on the Red Car Property, or on Rosebud under the 2 Freeway, hours or even days before the car owners reported their cars stolen.
A third neighbor reported the car was pulled out of the mud by a white truck late Thursday afternoon. The person who appeared to be with the Prius, was not wearing shoes.
The Red Car Property is not a park, nor is it a city street right of way. It is private property. In the early 1990s, there were heavy steel fire road gates that blocked traffic from portions of the property.
We have long advocated for installation of gates similar to those on every fire road in Griffith and Elysian Parks to prevent all but police/fire/ambulance emergency access. Fire road gates would enable pedestrians and non-motorized access to the property, while preventing people from driving cars from driving and dumping, joyriding or gathering for parties, which have been persistent problems. Pedestrians help keep many bad uses out by their daily presence.
In the past, the property owner threatened to fence off the entire site with chain link, but that would only keep the law-abiding neighbors off the property. Fencing the entire property only creates a safe haven for bad uses. Homeless and people looking to commit crimes, use drugs or party would then have free use of the property without the watchful eyes of pedestrians and families who use the property in a positive way.
The Red Car Property is a lawless place.
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