North Hollywood business owners are furious after a judge ruled that the city of Los Angeles doesn't have to pay for any damage caused by its SWAT team nearly two years ago.
“It's just outrageous,” business owner Carlos Peña said. “I feel frustrated. In other words, I feel vulnerable.”
The nightmare began on August 4, 2022, when Peña saw his business of nearly 30 years destroyed. That day, a federal fugitive broke into Mr. Peña's North Hollywood printing shop, attacked him and threw him out as federal marshals and a Los Angeles Police Department SWAT team followed.
“It's not every day that within 60 seconds a sniper with a rifle comes forward, and a few hours later a tank comes forward,” said a nearby business owner.
For 13 hours, officers tried to remove the suspect, repeatedly firing tear gas, which contaminated all of Peña's printers and ink, as well as all of his T-shirts and banners.
There was no insurance coverage, and federal marshals twice denied Mr. Peña's claims for about $60,000 in equipment and lost wages, prompting him to sue the city for damages. I had no choice but to do it.
On Monday, a federal judge said property seizures are allowed if the government seizes the property as part of a criminal investigation. As unfair as it may seem, the city was not responsible for paying Peña back.
For Peña, who now works in a garage, this was another gut punch. He said he has lost 80% of his business and trust in the government.
“Every time we need something, we feel like we're alone and it's ridiculous,” he said. “The most frightening thing is that they did so much damage and couldn't catch the man.”
