‘Graffiti Towers’ trespassers will have ‘nowhere to go’ with new fence, says KDL

unfinished skyscraper development
An aerial view of graffiti spray painted by taggers on at least 27 stories of an unfinished skyscraper development located downtown, with Cryto.com Arena visible (LOWER R) on February 2, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Photo credit Mario Tama/Getty Images

Two people were arrested Wednesday morning at the abandoned buildings in downtown Los Angeles – now known as the graffiti towers – for trespassing.

The towers are in Councilmember Kevin de León’s district. KNX News’ Craig Fiegener spoke to de León about how the suspects said they went to the building to play Monopoly, not to tag the place.

De León said this claim is absurd. He also said the people were able to get into the tower because the fencing project that the city is putting up has a weak spot that’ll exist for about another week. That weak spot is on Flower Street, where the city is still working to complete the new fence.

“Once that work is complete, I feel fully confident because even if you penetrate the fence, there's nowhere for you to go, you're just gonna roam around,” de León said.

He said that ultimately, he believes it’s not sustainable to have Los Angeles Police Department officers serve as security guards for the abandoned towers.

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.

The mounting costs of LAPD having to watch the property and the cost of the new fence will be added to what will ultimately be a lien against the company, De León said.

On top of the graffiti, the high-rise recently attracted some thrill-seekers who took the opportunity to paraglide off the top.

Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

Featured Image Photo Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images