Unfortunately, homelessness is a huge problem in cities like Los Angeles. And there’s no question that the pandemic has only made the crisis worse. For Shacola Thompson, who lives in Van Nuys, the issue has become personal recently. She’s been trying to get a homeless man to leave her porch for weeks but to no avail.
As noted by MSN, the man “continues to return and make himself comfortable on her porch.”
In addition to the stress of somebody encroaching on her space, Thompson told KTLA, “I don’t feel safe when I come out here and try to enjoy my coffee or sit and do my yoga. I had to take up my rug for him not to lay here, but that didn’t stop him. I hope that the LAPD will do its job and take this individual away from this community. Take him somewhere so he can be evaluated.”
The man has made an appearance at least 10 times in a month. Security footage shows him sleeping, sitting in one of the seats and smoking. He also left graffiti on the house while Thompson was out of town.
At one point, the LAPD arrived at the house and asked Thompson if she knew the man since he claimed to live with her. She said that wasn’t true.
The police did say they would arrest the man if he returned, but that has yet to deter him.
“I just feel like they’re not taking this serious,” Thompson complained. “They’re not taking my safety seriously. I live here. I’m alone. He could come in. He could harm me. He could bogart his way into my house. It’s not fair.”
Noting that Thompson is Black, Lisa Lafayette wrote on Twitter, “I wonder if the police would take her more seriously if her name was Karen?”
