Los Angeles police arrested two people Wednesday morning outside an unfinished downtown skyscraper that has become a magnet for graffiti artists, with more than 25 floors covered in graffiti, authorities said.
The two men were detained after a group of about five people were seen running toward the Oceanwide Plaza site in the 1100 block of Figueroa Street around 2 a.m. The group jumped the fence and entered the unfinished skyscraper, said Los Angeles Officer Rosario Cervantes. The Police Department said.
The men were not immediately identified, but LAPD officials said they were 20 and 24 years old.
The two were charged with criminal trespass, Rosario said.
Officers responded to the scene and set up a perimeter, using a loudspeaker to urge people inside the building to come out.
OnScene video showed police surrounding Oceanwide Plaza, a billion-dollar mixed-use project that has been stalled since 2019. From the ground, police directed a spotlight toward the side of the building, which has been covered in its mostly with colorful and large ones. letters from graffiti artists who snuck into the dying structure to add their own work.
The rapid police response represents a radical change from the situation a few weeks ago, when the building underwent a graffiti renovation. Taggers interviewed by The Times in early February said they found no safety when they jumped the fence of the building, which is located across from the Crypto.com Arena at LA Live.
Since then, BASE jumpers have also used the building as a launching pad. A video posted online showed exploits that were confirmed by Mayor Karen Bass, who told a local television outlet that she saw people parachuting from the building.
“I guarantee you there will be a tragedy there if that place is not boarded up quickly,” Bass said at the time.
LAPD officials say they have met with the property management company to discuss how to better protect the building from intruders.
Last week, city officials began installing more fencing around the building in an effort to stop trespassers, City News Service reported.
Several people have been cited or arrested this month. On February 6, Los Angeles police announced the arrest of four people after police conducted a search of the development.
The week before, police arrested two Los Angeles men for trespassing after receiving a call reporting vandalism at the location. A third person, a driver believed to have been involved, was also cited.
