Violent Squatters Terrorize Ritzy Southern California Neighborhood
Surveillance footage revealed that some squatters—people who unlawfully occupy an empty building or lot—have been setting fires and vandalizing property around certain California neighborhoods.
The first accounts of the terrifying behavior occurred in Beverly Grove, an upscale neighborhood located in the Mid-City West region of Los Angeles—where the median list price is $1,195,000, according to Realtor.com® May data. The area is known for its vibrant shopping and dining scene, including the Beverly Center and the Grove outdoor mall. The neighborhood is situated between Beverly Hills and West Hollywood.
'It's been absolutely terrifying. We are on hold with our lives right now until this is resolved,' Anita Cavallo, a woman who lives in the Beverly Grove area, told ABC7.
The concerns come after a transient attacked a gardener outside a home in Brentwood, and it was all captured on video footage, according to ABC7. The footage shows the gardener being slammed over the head with a long pole, then falling to the ground momentarily and clutching his injured head.
Even as the gardener tried to create distance by putting a garbage can between himself and the attacker, he was still in a vulnerable position. The squatter was seen advancing toward the victim, yelling loudly.
Cavallo said roughly 20 transients roam around a boarded-up apartment complex on Flores Street.
Although several of the houses in this area have tall fences to maintain safety and privacy, they do not always protect residents from unsuspecting, random attacks.
Cavallo noted that one woman set fire to a vacant apartment complex over and over until residents were forced to extinguish the flames themselves.
'She's an arsonist,' Cavallo told ABC7. 'She got arrested a couple weeks ago … saw her light of fire last week, and she lit a big one last night.
'It feels like no one has proper answers for us. Everyone just blames someone else and tells us nothing they can do, so we don't know where to go anymore for help,' she added.
The building owner mentioned that they have plans to rebuild the property. In the meantime, residents are worried that more violent attacks will ensue as unhoused people misuse the property.
'Californians have consistently cited homelessness as a top issue facing the state, and in 2024, homelessness reached record highs,' according to the Public Policy Institute of California. 'Of the nation's 771,500 people experiencing homelessness, over 187,000 (24%) were in California. Two in three were unsheltered, accounting for almost half of the country's unsheltered population.'
Although these numbers are troubling, the institute also noted that unsheltered population growth in the U.S. (7%) outpaced California (0.4%), reversing the previous decade's trend of larger increases in the Golden State.
In California, the presence of homelessness and homeless encampments can negatively affect property values, particularly when these encampments are visible or create disturbances. Generally, properties located near homeless encampments sell for lower prices than comparable properties. However, the impact on property values can vary, and some research suggests that affordable housing, when well-managed, can even have a positive or neutral impact on neighborhood property values.
In May 2025, California Gov. Gavin Newsom released a state model for cities and counties to address dangerous and unhealthy encampments and connect people experiencing homelessness with shelter and services.
'There's nothing compassionate about letting people die on the streets. Local leaders asked for resources—we delivered the largest state investment in history,' Newsom said in a press release. 'They asked for legal clarity—the courts delivered.
'Now, we're giving them a model they can put to work immediately, with urgency and with humanity, to resolve encampments and connect people to shelter, housing, and care. The time for inaction is over. There are no more excuses.'
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