One neighbor says a giant rock was hurled through his window, nearly missing his head.
SAN ANTONIO — Mounds of trash, threats of violence and a giant rock hurled through a neighbor’s window.
South side residents say that only scratches the surface of issues that stem from the same two vacant houses in the 100 block of East Baylor Street.
Once nightfall hits, neighbors say a crowd brings trouble to one house and breaks into the other to sleep. By morning, they’re all gone.
It’s an issue that’s plagued the street for at least two years. Neighbors say they’ve called police, but the problems persist. They believe the best solution is to demolish both structures.
Michael Nozza, who lives behind the vacant homes off East Lubbock Street, says he was inches away from being severely hurt while making breakfast one morning.
“[They’re] getting away with it and nobody seems to do anything about it,” said Nozza about the homeless trespassing behind his home.
As Nozza prepared his coffee, he says a large rock came flying through his upstairs window.
“It could have hit me in the head,” he recalled. “Then I heard all that laughing down there.”
When he looked out, he said a group of people who were staying in vacant homes behind him had jumped into his backyard.
His landlord boarded up the windows. Now the only light in his apartment comes from the ceiling fan.
On another occasion, Nozza arrived home to find his door open. He said the trespassers used a fork to get in.
“I just had a heart attack last time because they threatened me and said if anything happens that they were gonna finish me,” said Nozza.
The break-ins, drugs, fires, noise and trash thrown in his yard have Nozza at a loss for what to do.
Residents who didn’t wish to speak on camera told KENS 5 they’ve found squatters who broke into apartments across the street. While many said the violence didn’t reach their doorstep, what they notice the most is different people walking back and forth from the abandoned homes.
“It looks just like a hoarder’s front yard,” said Lion Alurani, owner of Cafe Dubai restaurant and bodega at the corner of East Baylor and South Flores. “I’ve noticed the cops a lot at that corner different times throughout the day.”
Alurani says one of his older patrons lives near the vacant houses. For her safety, he insists on walking her home.
“My camera picks up a lot of activity [on the corner] and walking toward those abandoned homes,” said Alurani. “There is an influx of activity and people who shouldn’t be there. I believe it’s now a magnet to them.”
A code enforcement violation notice is taped on the door of 158 East Baylor for garbage, overgrown grass and being an “unsecured structure”. The owner has until February 26th to comply.
“This neighborhood is an old neighborhood. The elderly live here. These are grown adults who’ve paid their homes off and they’re just trying to keep living,” said Alurani.
While neighbors say they were told demolition is coming, the City of San Antonio Code Enforcement Department said there are no plans for demolition right now.
The last time Code Enforcement officers were at 158 E. Baylor was January 23. They said the owner cleaned up and all cases have been closed. However, when we stopped by Thursday, the reported cleanliness disappeared.
The demolition process is a lengthy one. The structure must first be assessed by Code Enforcement, then the matter must go in front of a board who will decide if the building is jeopardizing the safety of the community.
To take the first steps to report a nuisance home in your neighborhood, call 311. You can also make a report or check if there’s a similar complaint already filed on the 311 website.