Police raid Granada Hills junk pile in search of stolen goods, detain several people

The Los Angeles Police Department conducted a sweep operation Thursday at a homeless encampment in the Granada Hills area.

According to LAPD, officers came to the encampment to serve a search warrant for stolen goods but were not sure what they would find other than a rare collector’s item spotted by a viewer in previous coverage by CBSLA’s Kristine Lazar.

A judge granted the search warrant after the viewer spotted a stolen van, which was reportedly a rare collector’s item. The viewer said that the van would not be up there on its own. 

Multiple people have been detained and questioned, however, no one has been arrested yet.

The vacant lot turned homeless encampment and junk pile has been an issue for nearby residents, with some residents like Angiee Suarez complaining of rampant trash and feces lying around the area. Saurez also said she caught a woman stealing things off of her porch multiple times.

 “My car was broken into by the same vagrant,” she added.

Other residents like Alleta Ojeda said that there’s activity at “all hours of the night,” with “cars coming in and out of there.” 

“I see people barbecuing at night,” said Paul Singh. “A lot of people walking around as if something is going on up there.”

With the concerns of potential criminal activity, someone residents are worried about the increased fire danger as the vacant lot rests in an extremely dry area surrounded by vegetation. 

RELATED: Only On: Granada Hills residents outraged as rubbish pile continues to grow on vacant lot

“We don’t want another incident because there are 4,000 plus homes south of us… We get Santa Ana winds,” said Leslie Deeds, another resident. 

This is a developing story. Please check back for details.