Vacant WeHo home demolished after residents claim it was being used as 'drug den' by homeless

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (KABC) -- Residents in a West Hollywood neighborhood are feeling a sense of relief after a troubled vacant home they claim was being used as a drug den by homeless people was demolished.

The home on N Sierra Bonita in West Hollywood's eastside was demolished Thursday. The vacant house caught fire in November 2023 and has been the center of several complaints made to the city.

"For almost two years, we had all kinds of trespassers, all kinds of vagrancy going on, fights and everything, drug use was happening in the house," said West Hollywood resident Stefanie Lahart, who said people have been contacting the city non-stop after the fire. "It was red-tagged pretty much immediately, and it's taken this long for them to actually come and take the structure down."

Brothers Alfie and Alexander Drucker shared similar experiences.

"There was a bunch of homeless people taking bikes from all around the neighborhood, going in the back doing drugs and stuff," said one of the brothers. "One day, when I was coming back from school, I had my bike, and I go into my house, and one of them followed me in ... it was crazy."

The city of West Hollywood ordered the property owner, FMB Development, to demolish the structure by Jan. 5, and required the owner to provide around the clock, on-site security.

A security guard was working Thursday night as neighbors stopped by the home. Many wonder what the owner is going to do with lot.

"If you're asking if this property is going to be developed any time soon, I don't see that happening," said Lahart.

The city said clean-up efforts will continue with a final inspection set for next week. They added that around-the-clock security is required to be in place throughout that process.

The property owner has not shared a statement on the structure.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.