Lynwood Unified to Mail Letters Warning of Fraudulent Property Buyers

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The Lynwood Unified School District (LUSD) will be sending out letters to Lynwood residents regarding the recent pursuit by Angeles Fields representatives to buy homes, businesses as well as four schools in a section of the city.

In the letter, LUSD staff plan to let residents know that the school district is not willing to sell the schools, nor are in no way interested.

The four schools that could be potentially affected include: Will Rogers Elementary, Firebaugh High School, Vista High School and Lynwood Community Adult School. 

All of these schools lie between Atlantic Avenue and the 710 Glenn Anderson Freeway, between Imperial Highway and Fernwood Avenue. 

The Angeles Fields project, which was supported by some of the city’s former councilmembers, was a plan to create a sports center in the Atlantic Avenue portion  of the city. This project would have displaced hundreds of homeowners, as well as many businesses along the thoroughfare, according to local reports.

In fact, some of the former council members, who are now serving time in state prison for various corruption charges, supported the project in 2007 and signed legal documents for the sports center that they hoped would bring an NFL team.

However, due to discrepancies, the legal firm currently representing the city was able to terminate the agreement in April of this year. 

In addition, LUSD's superintendent Ed Velasquez said that even if the district wanted to sell Firebaugh High School, it would not be able to because it was purchased with state money.

"There's a complicated process to go through it and we'd have to pay,"said Velasquez during Tuesday's school board meeting when the issue arose. "There's no way we'd allow it." 

Board member Jose Solache, who brought up the issue on Tuesday evening, requested the letters to be sent out after he was visited by Angeles Fields representatives at his home in Lynwood on Sunday afternoon. 

According to Solache, the representatives seemed very serious about making him an offer on his home, and even brought with them legal documents and other information. 

"I asked the real estate agent, 'What about the school?' And he said, ‘we are in the process of purchasing the school.' Which for the record, none of us five [board members] or staff are selling the school," said Solache.

After receiving multiple phone calls by residents and businesses the city’s manager, Roger Haley, sent out a letter in early October stating that the city does not have any agreement or understanding with Angeles Fields in regards to the development any sports complex within the city. 

"The representations that have apparently been made are inappropriate," said city attorney Fred Galante. "There are no plans to make arrangements." 

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