Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer announced Thursday his office has reached a settlement with the owner of a Motel 6 in Sylmar he said has been a longtime center of gang activity, drug dealing and prostitution.
The settlement requires the owner of the Motel 6 chain, G6 Hospitality Property LLC, to pay $250,000 for Feuer’s office to develop a new program fighting human trafficking and to make a number of security upgrades at the site.
“Our settlement commits Motel 6 to comprehensive, concrete action that is focused on security at the site and strong management at the site,” Feuer said.
Feuer also said that since 2013, the LAPD has made 22 arrests for narcotics and 34 other arrests at the property and that stolen vehicles were regularly recovered in the parking lot.
The original complaint against owners of the motel at 12775 Encinitas Ave. was filed by Feuer’s office in November. City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, who represents the Sylmar area, said the motel has been a problem location for many years.
“This particular property has represented a really big thorn in our side for decades, frankly, not just in the impacts of the drug trafficking and the human trafficking that are taking place, but the (impact on the) quality of life that is created in this community is one that they have struggled with for a very long time as a result of the activities at this property,” Rodriguez said.
As part of the settlement, the Motel 6 owners have agreed to make a series of alterations to the site and changes in its policies, including enforcement of a “do not rent” list of known criminals, restrictions on stays less than 24 hours, banning cash payments to rent rooms, the addition of security cameras around the property, employing security guards 24 hours a day, and other upgrades.
The motel will also block access to backpages.com, a website known for advertising prostitution services and will post notices about human trafficking.
–City News Service