Brentwood residents voice concerns about woman who uses their lawn as toilet, seek help for her

BRENTWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Residents in a Brentwood neighborhood say they are increasingly concerned about a woman who has been seen repeatedly defecating on sidewalks and exhibiting erratic behavior, prompting calls for assistance from authorities and service organizations.

The woman is well known to some residents, who say she has been in the neighborhood for more than a decade.

"These are her two favorite corners ...the stop sign right there.......that corner," one resident said while pointing out locations where the woman is frequently seen.

Wendy Kush, a Brentwood resident, recalled one of her encounters with the woman.

"I remember being on a walk with my rescue dog and my .... The woman came out and pooped right on the sidewalk in front of me," Kush said.

Residents believe the woman spends some of her time in a homeless encampment near Wilshire Boulevard and Barrington Avenue. They say she has been seen on numerous streets throughout Brentwood and has been known to mumble and occasionally spit at people she passes.

"She pooped last of our garage right outside the gate!" a neighbor said.

Some residents say the woman's behavior has become more troubling over the past year.

"She has gotten extremely worse in the last year I would say-more aggressive," Brentwood resident Laurie Seidman said.

According to residents, they have contacted police, homeless services organizations, their local councilmember and mental health experts in an effort to get help for the woman. They say she has refused offers of assistance.

Kush said she recently had what she described as a frightening encounter while walking her dogs.

"And she came around the corner very quickly and she started yelling she was gonna kill me and she was lunging at me," Kush said.

Residents say they are concerned both for their own safety and for the woman's well-being.

"These are the kinds of things that, obviously, nobody wants to experience in the neighborhood and nobody wants this woman out on the street -a danger to herself in addition to being a danger to other people," Seidman said.