Neighbors in Brentwood are frustrated because they say a woman has repeatedly defecated on the sidewalk for years and that they want city leaders and police to do something about it.
The woman — who some neighbors call the “Brentwood Pooper” — has been seen repeatedly going to the bathroom in public on Barrington near Wilshire. While some people are frustrated, others have compassion for the woman, saying she’s an example of the homeless problem in Los Angeles.
“She defecates on our lawn, in front, on the side,” Brentwood resident Shaun Shayan said.
Neighbor Wendy Kush says this has been an issue for a decade. She says she has reached out to city leaders and has called the police and 311, but the woman keeps coming back.
“Sometimes she sleeps in our back alley. Sometimes she sleeps in our bushes. And when she wakes up, she goes right to that corner, pulls her pants down,” Kush said, later adding, “Very sad that we live in such a great city and this is how we are taking care of people who are in need of mental health help.”
Kate Miskevics also lives in Brentwood and works in mental health care. She says it’s a difficult situation.
“I really feel for her because she really needs help of some sort, but unfortunately, a lot of the time, our programs, our outreach programs, are voluntary, and it does require the client or the person to consent to services,” Miskevics said.
Councilmember Traci Park said this is a prime example of the ongoing mental health crisis on the streets, and Park says the county’s mental health department needs to get the woman into supervised care.
“There has to be a mechanism in place for long-term care of the mentally ill, especially when they are homeless,” Kush said.
On Friday, the Los Angeles Police Department said it has not heard of this happening repeatedly but is increasing patrols in the area.
Neighbors are hoping the woman gets the help she needs.
“She’s just one story of thousands of stories. This is not an isolated event in our city, but we can hopefully help people one by one,” Brentwood resident Laurie Seidman said.
NBC Los Angeles also reached out to County Supervisor Lindsay Horvath’s office about what the county may be doing to assist but has not received a response.