LA’s mole man exposed: Museum officials snare homeless man living in underground vault outside their building as security footage shows him sneaking in and out of his secret den
- The man was living in a vault near the Japanese American Museum in Little Tokyo
- Museum officials are taking action against the man who lived in the utility space
- The unidentified man was arrested for battery on a police officer and taken away
A homeless man has been found living in an underground vault in Los Angeles – as security camera footage shows him sneaking in and out of the hole.
The man is seen in clips picking up what is supposed to be a nailed shut utility door near the Japanese American National Museum in the SoCal city.
Inside the vault, food containers were found along with other debris that suggested a person had taken up residence in the space.
Los Angeles Police told DailyMail.com the man was arrested on July 3 around 9pm for battery of a police officer after the initial trespassing call came in.
The discovery is just the latest in the line of shocking incidents involving homeless individuals in the city which is experiencing a worsening homeless crisis.
A homeless man was found living in an underground vault in downtown Los Angeles last week as security camera footage shows him sneaking in and out of the hole
Inside the vault, food containers were found along with other debris that suggested a person had taken up residence in the space. Pictured: An empty food container in the vault
An official with the LAPD said the call first came in around 8.56pm for trespassing.
According to Van Kirk, security guards who were working that evening noticed a man picking up the hatch doorand dropping a bag down.
In another clip, the man is seen opening another vault door and jumping down before putting the crate lid back in place.
‘The security guards noticed the incident, called our director of security who came down,’ museum CFO Doug Van Kirk told KTLA.
When officers arrived, the man was found inside the vault. They ordered him to come up and searched his person and his belongings.
Van Kirk said cops found a firearm ‘or a replica of a firearm’ inside his backpack.
He became combative and hit one of the police officers and was subsequently arrested for battery on an officer.
The underground vaults are typically sealed shut for security and contain water, natural gas valves, and electrical wires.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power told the SoCal outlet the specific vault where the man was found had a water meter inside.
One video shows the man picking up the vent and throwing a backpack into the hole
When officers arrived, the man was found inside the vault. They ordered him to come up and searched his person and his belongings
The situation happened at a vault near the Japanese American National Museum (pictured)
Along with pipes, debris and empty food containers were found in the vault
In this case, the vaults were not permanently sealed because utility workers need to get in and out for maintenance, LADWP said.
The vaults were re-secured on July 7, the agency said.
Even though the vault had no access to the museum, Van Kirk said this is just one more concerning incident involving the city’s unhoused population.
‘We take the safety of our employees, of our volunteers, and of our guests very seriously,’ Van Kirk said.
The shocking video shared by KTLA upset residents who say they are fed up with
‘He doesn’t want your help he just wants to live a free life without taxes and to be able to do whatever he wants,’ one commenter shared.
‘They’ll release him overnight and he will go back to living in a street vault, but somewhere else,’ another wrote.
‘He’s trying to survive and feel safe from getting mugged or hurt. So sad,’ one wrote.
‘We take the safety of our employees, of our volunteers, and of our guest very seriously,’ Japanese American National Museum CFO Doug Van Kirk (pictured) said
Los Angeles is experiencing an unprecedented homeless crisis throughout the area.
At the end of June, some residents accused the city’s leaders of playing a game of cat and mouse with homeless individuals.
The city has been clearing encampments only for them to see them return within hours or sometimes minutes.
Often the city gives people just 20 minutes to pack their belongings and leave in street-wide cleanup operations but neighbors say they’re soon back.
Residents also claim the city is failing to offer accommodation to those they move along, despite a new policy by Mayor Karen Bass to reduce the so-called ‘sweeps’ and help provide temporary housing.
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