OC moving company helping with neighborhood cleanup after employees caught dumping furniture
SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- An Orange County moving company that was captured on video dumping furniture in an alley is now helping to clean up the neighborhood.
Cecilia Bautista was outraged after she saw what played out in the alleyway of her Santa Ana apartment complex. Her security camera caught two Pro Movers Inc. employees dumping old furniture and taking off.
Management at the moving company told Eyewitness News they were embarrassed. General manager John Romero said they're a family-owned small business and part of the underserved community surrounding Minnie Street.
"That's not something that we do or practice or preach or instruct. We were sympathetic to Miss Cecilia and what happened," he said.
Romero said the company internally dealt with the workers involved and paid the city's $100 citation, but this went beyond that - this was personal.
It turns out Bautista, who reported the incident to the company and police, only lives a short walk from the company's headquarters. Eyewitness News cameras happened to catch Bautista walking by on the day we interviewed staff at Pro Movers Inc.
The neighbors are dealing with the same issue and both said they have regularly called police.
"Illegal dumping on our property, on the other side of the wall, gang activity, drug activity, violence," Romero listed.
After hearing Bautista speak on Eyewitness News about the work she does to address these same problems on her end of the train tracks, management at the moving company offered their services.
"We've offered our trucks, personnel, labor," Romero said.
Bautista admits she felt bad about the backlash the moving company saw on social media following the report last week, but said she'll continue speaking up for her community - this time with more backup from her friends at Pro Movers Inc.
"Sometimes, probably we don't get the response like the one we think or we need right now, but it works," Bautista said.
Romero said organizing for the cleanup in this community continues. He and Bautista said it would happen in the coming weeks. Romero said he would post the details on the company's social media accounts when they're set for anyone who wants to join.
