Families continue to wait for repairs to their homes a year after a botched illegal fireworks explosion
The families who lived on East 27th and San Pedro Streets in South Los Angeles were told they would be out of their homes for about 15 minutes.
And yet, a year later, many still await their chance to sleep under their own roofs — after the botched detonation of a stash of illegal fireworks by the Los Angeles Police Department's bomb squad destroyed their houses.
"When I walked into the house everything was on the floor, windows were blown out," said Minerva Velasquez. "If we would have been home, I don't think we would have survived."
Minerva and her husband Hilario Velasquez had spent the last 21 years in their home. With the property paid off for years before the explosion, the couple dreamed of leaving the house to their children and spending time in Mexico on retirement. Now, that plan has been put on hold as they continue to wait for the repairs to finish.
"It's very stressful to be living like this," said Hilario.
They now live less than two miles away at a hotel, put up by the City of Los Angeles, along with four other homeowners, several renters and their families.
Paola Benitez, her daughters, her son-in-law and a 6-year-old grandson with autism went from a two-story duplex to a thousand-square-foot apartment.
"I feel trapped, depressed," she said. "I get very sad. I don't feel at home here."
Benitez and her family not only lost their homes but lost their livelihoods after the explosion destroyed a beauty salon and shoe store, both of which they owned.
According to Councilman Curren Price, who represents the area, the city has repaired 17 of the 24 homes damaged in the explosion.
They have replaced blow-out windows and made exterior repairs, among other improvements to the buildings, including one neighboring the Velasquez family's home.
"This property is going and undergoing some extensive repairs, renovations," he said. "We're excited. We hope to have the work completed within another month."
However, Price's office said there are still 249 claims outstanding, 158 of which are represented by an attorney. Some wonder why several families are holding out on repairs.
But some families said that the city only offered to replace their windows and make minor repairs so they could move back in.
"How can we move in with the house so damaged," said Benitez. "The walls are full of holes, everything was ruined in the blast."
"The house is in bad shape, all the windows were shattered, everything is broken, even the nails have come out of the wall," Hilario added.
Inside these homes, it appears they have damage beyothata simple repair. The biggest fear is that the century-old homes were blown off their foundations.
"The blast was so strong it damaged the first and second floors of our home," said Benitez.
The families claim a structural engineer was never sent to check the home's foundation. They did say someone came by to take photos and check for lead but that's where it ended.
Now, they rely on their attorneys who tell them the wait for a solution could take up to three years.
"If the city wanted, they could have told us they would take care of everything but they didn't," said Hilario.
When asked if a structural engineer ever inspected the properties, LA Building and Safety responded by saying the agency made the assessments.
"We got to make sure that our families are dealt with properly, fairly — all across the board," said Price. "As an advocate, I wanna make sure that the citizens of my district are represented as well."
