Homeless driven from El Jardin building

At about noon on Monday, April 17, sheriffs were called after it was found that people were squatting inside the empty El Jardin building.

Three people were cleared out of the building along with their belongings. One woman was arrested and released on drug charges. Three people, two women and one man, a dog and a cat were all living in the empty building for about a month, according to a deputy on the scene.

The items taken out of the building included a baby grand piano, tires, and rims, furniture, artwork, etc.

The Sheriff came and talked to the homeless people and offered to connect them with HART for services and overnight sales. One deputy on the scene said, "We do what we can. In the end, it's up to the homeless to accept services."

Destiny, one of the people living in the property, when asked about her voucher to live at a nearby hotel, she said they hadn't received their vouchers yet. She said, "Everyone has theirs except us."

Mr. Salim, the owner of the property is building a first-class carwash. He said, "It's like something that you can't find around here. It's something I would take my BMW through."

Village News will have a story about the property and car wash in next week;s Village News.

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