Victims of alleged Craigslist scam fighting eviction from South LA home

SOUTH LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Water drips from the ceiling in a South Los Angeles home where residents rent beds on the floor. The plumbing doesn't work and there is a bedbug infestation.

Even in these conditions, dozens of people make this their home. But now, Ayasha Chenoa and her autistic son, an Uber driver and even a former comedian could be forced out of the house.

"Right now, we don't know what to do. It's so cold outside. We're just, we're scared. We don't know what's going to happen," said Shalana Little, a tenant in the building.

Tenants say they pay low rent for mattress space on the floor. But the woman who they say rented the rooms on Craigslist took their money and ran. They don't even know how long she wasn't paying rent.

Now they say the city of Los Angeles is evicting the tenants.

"I have no idea what's going to happen with us yet, but we don't want to be homeless. We don't want to be out there and that's the position she put us all in," said Ayasha Chenoa, another tenant.

Many of these people, like Vincent Cook, planned to transition out of this home after a few months. The former comedian used to open for big names like Richard Pryor. But after a stroke, he ended up sleeping in the run-down house.

"What can I say? You've got to fight. Fight to the end. That's what it's all about: fighting until the end," said Cook.

A lawyer is helping them fight their eviction in court Monday, but there is no guarantee they'll be able to stay.