A man and a woman were found dead at an encampment behind a high school just west of Downtown L.A. on Huntley Circle Monday.
KNX News' Emily Valdez spoke with a resident who happened to overhear the moment when the woman, identified as 46-year-old Lucrecia Macias Barajas, was found.
"We just heard people screaming from outside the window. It sounded like somebody was screaming bloody murder," the man, who asked to remain anonymous, said.
Want to get caught up on what's happening in SoCal every weekday afternoon? Click to follow The L.A. Local wherever you get podcasts.
He said this is a relatively common occurrence in the area, but when he stuck his head out to see what was going on, he heard someone yelling, "My mom, my mom, I can't believe it. My mom's been killed."
According to the resident, it was a brother and sister who had discovered their mother's body inside a tent after searching for her for two days.
Locals have called the police and the city numerous times about this troublesome encampment over the past two to three years, where they say at least 20 to 30 people show up to buy drugs each day, but no one has done anything about it.
In a statement issued to KNX News, Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, whose district includes Westlake where the bodies were found, said:
This is a horrific and unacceptable tragedy and our hearts are with the victims and their loved ones. Our office is working closely with City departments and community partners to respond to this incident and ensure impacted communities have the resources they need. Councilmember Hernandez remains committed to ending the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles by working urgently to bring people indoors to access lifesaving care and services.
Animal control was seen removing several dogs from inside the tent that were reportedly eating Barajas' remains, but the tent was quickly reoccupied and returned to regular activity.
Neighbors are hoping that the city will finally do something about this encampment.
The medical examiner has not yet identified the deceased man who was found nearby. The deaths of both victims remained under investigation.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok