Posted on 07/10/2012 6:22:17 PM PDT by BenLurkin
LONG BEACH (CBS) — Officials report that thieves are ransacking a Long Beach home.
That in itself would normally not be news, but the crooks are stealing from a hoarder. And not just any hoarder.
Police and neighbors say thieves and junk scavengers have been stealing from Antonio Gorospe.
Thursday, Gorospe allegedly shot a code inspector in the face before a seven hours-long barricade situation. Police ultimately got him out with tear gas, knocked a wall down with a tractor and a K-9 unit. Our cameras were rolling when the dog took him down.
What are they stealing from Gorospe? Amanda Burden, reporting for CBS2 and KCAL9, says pretty much everything that’s not nailed down. Junk, scrap metal, rotten food.
Neighbor Carlos Chaidz witnessed the thieving frenzy. “They were taking stuff yesterday.”
Janet Ball, another neighbor, likened it to an out-of-control garage sale, KNX 1070′s Ed Mertz reported. Although no purchases were made. “I seen that iron lamp, it’s gone today. The gate was open yesterday, the day before it was closed. so they’ve been coming in, taking stuff.”
She can’t believe what she saw. “I don’t think it’s right. It’s his property whether it’s junk or not. It’s not right to take his stuff, (especially) if he’s not here.”
Police cruisers now patrol the neighborhood after residents complained it was a free-for-all, literally, at Gorospe’s now-unoccupied house.
Jason Reed, a neighbor, told Burden, “I think they’re trying to steal his scrap, all the metal here. They’re trying to make money. I understand people have to make money, but it’s a crime scene. Just leave it alone.”
The injured code inspector who was shot in the face is out of the hospital, reports Burden.
On his Facebook page Brett Bush wrote, “I am having trouble seeing out of my left eye. Please pray. Also pray that I can wean myself off the pain meds. I have completely forgiven the shooter as I know he is in a place to get the help he needs.”
Neighbors say Gorospe is a good man. Yes, the house is a mess but they say he was never violent before Thursday. He had reportedly been despondent over recently losing his mother.
Says Reed, “I’ve known Tony for eight years. And it’s kinda messed up that after they took him away people keep coming here and taking his stuff. They don’t need t that stuff. He’s a really good guy.”
Totally unnecessary but I guess they have all those toys they need to use. probably could have waited him out and avoided all the property damage, whatever happened to all those guys that specialized in talking the guy out rather than blowing up the house?
No it’s really not. Hoarding is a real psychological condition. Most preppers are very organized, it’s almost an inherent quality. After all, why prepare if it all goes to hell because of poor storage?
Freaking swat thugs, just make a situation worse.
Being a hoarder sure as heck doesn’t mean that he is a prepper, but you can’t be a true prepper, without being a hoarder.
Trade goods, duplicates, products that will no longer exist, junk and waste that is plentiful today and will be precious after an event, hoarding is an ugly aspect of the deeply prepared.
She's right. Only the government is allowed to take his stuff.
She's right. Only the government is allowed to take his stuff.
...because having zoning and code laws, and enforcing both, is important enough to charge onto civilian properties and get people shot.
Congrats on all that “freedom” America.
United Nations report on second hand smoke and found it to be harmless....true report for UN
This doesn’t happen overnight. It begins with sloth and anxiety and then escalates over time. Often these people are such loners that no one is even aware of the situation until it has become out of control.
We volunteered to help someone out with our labor. The gutters were full of packed dirt, with a tree growing in a downspout. The refrigerator had not been cleaned in years. It was so packed, that there was no room left for anything additional. It took six hours to clear it out and clean it, including using straight ammonia on the surrounding floor area. There was decayed food in there with best-by dates over 2 years old, plus container after container of unidentifiable leftovers that had been reduced to stinking fuzzy mold. There were 3 cats that could be smelled from the front door and one and half rooms crammed with stuff that had no further use. The microwave, range top and oven were filthy with old grease and spatters that could not be removed. There had obviously been a fire in the oven, which had about 1/2 inch of caked black ash on all sides.
We tried to get the woman to seek some help and she was so offended that she cut off all contact with us.
She is heavy and NOT a prepper.
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