LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Kathy Hendricks is happy to see her North Las Vegas community in a festive mood. The reason? A few months ago bad neighbors were causing problems, and she said their home became a hotbed of crime.
“It was really bad and it was getting worst,” Hendricks, HOA president of Aliante Cove, said. “I would tell the police officers, every time we would call them, I’m like, ‘I’m really worried with some of the people that are coming to this home, and the activity that’s happening. Someone is going to get hurt or killed.'”
Aliante Cove is a gated community near Decatur Blvd and Deer Springs Way.
On Saturday, they threw a block party to honor North Las Vegas city officials who helped them evict squatters living in their neighborhood on the 4500 block of Meadowlark Wing Way.
According to neighbors, issues began in 2020 when squatters started occupying a home that was in foreclosure. They would leave garbage on the front lawn, including drug paraphernalia.
The house has since been condemned.
“For us to retire, I didn’t want to be living with crime around me. That was not my focus, and I’m like no,” Hendricks said.
She sought the help of others on her street to get the squatters evicted.
Erika Manasco, who lives right across from the problem house, became Hendricks’s partner in crime. Throughout all hours of the night, Manasco would see shady characters.
“The house was in foreclosure, it was borderline ready to be condemned, and they were taking advantage of that situation, and this is not the neighborhood to do that in,” Manasco said.
Residents of Aliante Cove began attending city meetings and contacting council members. Enter North Las Vegas Councilman and Mayor Pro Tempore Scott Black. He listened to residents’ concerns and held a meeting between them and the city staff.
“The city prides itself on finding solutions for neighborhood safety, for beautification, and it was just an awesome collaboration,” Black, councilman for Ward 3, said.
The house has been vacant since Nov. of 2022.
Black said call 311 or contact code enforcement if you have similar problems in your neighborhood.