Police Surround Graffiti Tower After Trespassers Rush Inside

LOS ANGELES, CA — Two more people were in custody Wednesday after a group broke into the abandoned luxury skyscraper coming to be known as Graffiti Tower, according to police.

The latest arrests come after an unusual show of police force for trespassing and vandalism.

The two men were arrested at about 8 a.m. Wednesday after a group was seen entering the Oceanwide Plaza property near the 1100 block of Figueroa Street, and police surrounded the premises to wait them out, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Facing unsafe conditions inside the building, police set up a perimeter to wait out a group of about eight seen entering the building Tuesday night. Another group reportedly rushed past police and into the building Wednesday morning, KTLA reported. After arresting two men, authorities continued to wait for additional suspects to make their way out of the graffiti-covered skyscraper Wednesday afternoon.

Authorities expressed frustration with the situation.

"This is 14 on-duty officers that could be doing other things," LAPD Capt. Raul Jovel told reporters outside the building Wednesday morning, discussing the resources being deployed around the building. "I think the mayor and the chief of police have said that they are doing everything they can to secure access to the building, put up a fence, look into security to have officers disconnect from this building. But right now, as you see, even with officers posted, we have individuals bent on coming in here and going inside this property. We're trying to prevent that."

The building is unsafe for trespassers and police.

“There are a lot of exposed wires, exposed rebar and exposed metal sticking out of the side of the building,” LAPD Sgt. Gordon Helper told KTLA. “It’s not a safe place to be…I won’t even send the officers up there.

“There’s water everywhere on the floors and there’s no filtration system to filter the water down,” Helper added. “There are poles that are unfinished and now the poles have filled up with water due to all the rain…there’s even bathtubs…that are filled up with water from the rain. It’s disgusting.”

The partially built 25-story building at 1150 South Figueroa has proven to be irresistible to many despite the mounting number of arrests for trespassing at the building that towers over Crypto.com Arena. Heavily covered in graffiti and used by trespassers for base jumping, the eyesore has provoked city leaders as much as it has delighted scofflaws.

Wednedsay's arrest of two men in their 20s are the latest of dozens of such arrests, which typically involve a citation and release of the suspect.

Officers have increased patrols around the complex for roughly a month, responding to the rash of graffiti and other vandalism.

The city recently installed new fencing around the property, which was abandoned by Chinese developers who went bankrupt before the project could be completed. The persistent issues with tagging and other crimes at the property have prompted the city to threaten legal action against the development company and spend money of its own to erect the fencing and increase security.

In addition to the vandalism — including bright graffiti on balconies as high as 20 stories in the air overlooking Crypto.com Arena — recent videos have circulated on the internet showing base jumpers plunging off the Oceanwide Plaza and then paragliding down to the street.

The Los Angeles Police Department has logged thousands of hours patroling the property, according to Chief Michel More. The City Council approved $3.8 million in spending to clean up the property.

City News Service contributed to this report.