DOWNEY, Calif. (KNX) — Downey City Councilmember Catherine Alvarez has been cited for unapproved occupancy after her adult son was found to be living in a storage room in the apartment building where she resides.
According to Downey code enforcement officials, neighbors submitted several complaints about a person sleeping in the laundry room closet of the Eden Roc Apartments in the 10200 block of Western Avenue in Downey.
Inspectors found 21-year-old LennJohn Alvarez living in the room, sleeping on what appeared to be a bed made of two large plastic sotrage containers and a piece of wood, with some pillows and bankets.
Alvarez's son reportedly told inspectors he could not "live in his mother's house" anymore. Officials ordered him to clear his personal belongings from the room.
A month later, a neighbor submitted another complaint about someone living in the storage room, adding that they discarded used condoms and would smoke marijuana in the small closet. Upon returning to the complex, officials once again found LennJhon Alvarez occuping the space.
Downey Code Enforcement
Alvarez said "his mom was in the living room with her dog and he was not allowed to stay in her apartment," according to the code enforcement report.
Councilmember Alvarez reportedly told inspectors that her son was an adult, she could not control him, and he had taken the key to the storage room from her.
Downey police opened an investigation into the matter, but the case has since been closed with no findings to support allegations of neglect or endangerment against the councilmember.
Alvarez, her son, and Eden Roc's manager were all issued citations.
"My son is an adult, and adults don't always consult with their parents about their living arrangements," Alvarez wrote in a statement.
The councilmember and her five children were previously homeless.
"I think your focusing on me and my [family's] experience of being homeless is an intentional distraction from the real reason many Downey youth are homeless," Alvarez said. "The rents are too high, and my council colleagues could lower those rents if they joined me in a vote. Why don't you ask them why they don't support those policies to help our community?"
