Two people were arrested Wednesday for allegedly breaking into a much-publicized abandoned luxury skyscraper in downtown Los Angeles that has been heavily covered in graffiti and even used by trespassers for base jumping.
A group of up to eight people reportedly broke into the Oceanwide Plaza property near the 1100 block of Figueroa Street late Tuesday night, and police surrounded the location.
Two suspects were arrested about 8 a.m. Wednesday. According to ABC7, a juvenile and an adult were taken into custody.
The arrests at Oceanwide Plaza occurred after the city recently installed new fencing around the property, which was abandoned by Chinese developers who went bankrupt. 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.
Earlier, the LAPD reported at least seven individuals had been arrested at the property on suspicion of vandalism, trespassing, burglary or other crimes.