They allege they are living a nightmare after men stand outside their apartment in south central Los Angeles to smoke and drink; they also say they have received threats
Osvaldo Ozuna and his seven relatives have lived in south central Los Angeles since 2011 but he says that a few months ago they began to live under constant concern as they had a group of what appear to be homeless or gang members right outside their home.
Ozuna said that the window of his apartment, located near Central Avenue and Washington Boulevard, faces the sidewalk of the street and that the group of men who congregate daily at the foot of the window, starts to smoke, to getting high, drinking alcohol, and doing what appears to be illegal deals.
The family says they have made several reports to Newton station police as well as the owner of the building, however, so far, none have been successful.
Ozuna indicates that out of desperation he sent a message to the mayor of the city of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, to ask for support and that the response was that they were sorry, but that he should continue contacting the police.
“When the police have arrived and they are there they have only given them a mask and a fine … [Luego] they are leaving, ”he said.
The 24-year-old is concerned that this group will settle outside his apartment since the smoke from what they smoke enters his home and sometimes – he assures – the smells are stronger than that of a simple cigarette.
He added that last Monday his father saw a patrol pass in front of the building and that he stopped it to give them the complaints again.
However, he says that once the police made the report the case became more problematic as the men started throwing the beer bottles at the family’s window. They allege that they also received threats that the window was going to be shot.
Difficult to move during the pandemic
Ozuna said that they have tried several times to move but that they have been unable to find a place at a reasonable price. Four adults and four minors live in the one-bedroom apartment.
The young man adds that his parents have in their legal custody his four nephews, 14-year-old twins and two more, 12 and 10 years old, after his sister was deported in 2014.
Since then she has not seen her children and he and Ozuna’s parents have taken care of raising them.
Ozuna expresses that he cannot abandon his family and that is why he fights to be able to help them and find some way to get out of this place, which he describes as “plagued with crime and violence just outside his home.”
He hopes to be able to find somewhere to move with his family so that he can continue to take care of his nephews who, despite the short age difference, have also become his own children.
The young man, who is a beneficiary of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), considers himself an exceptional citizen who has fought for his education, his career and his family.
In 2017 he won an award from the Prague Independent Film Festival in the Czech Republic for making a documentary in reference to immigration.
Initially, he hoped that he could excel in the same place that has been his home for almost 10 years. However, he talks that the current situation is forcing him to flee for fear that these people are going to attack him or his family.
At the moment all he hopes is to find a new place to take his loved ones to live safely.
