2 Arrested Outside Tagged Oceanwide Tower in Downtown LA

An aerial view of graffiti spray painted by taggers on at least 27 stories of an unfinished skyscraper development located downtown in Los Angeles on Feb. 2, 2024. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Two men were arrested Feb. 28 outside the graffiti-marred Oceanwide Plaza towers after apparently hiding overnight to avoid police who had gathered outside when trespassers were spotted at the abandoned downtown Los Angeles site.

Officers said they believed six to eight people were still hiding inside the deserted project, ABC 7 reported on X.

The trespassers were seen scaling a fence to enter the site around 11:45 p.m., according to KTLA.

Witnesses told KTLA a second group entered the site hours later.

Officers called for backup and by morning several colleagues had joined them, setting up a perimeter and trying to drive the trespassers out by using spotlights and loudspeakers, according to KTLA.

Video posted on X shows the two suspects being cuffed outside the tower. One told an officer, “We were playing Monopoly,” ABC7 reported.

The second “appeared to be livestreaming on cellphone,” according to ABC7. Officers said he will probably be cited and released.

The city began securing the site after the developer failed to do so before a Feb. 17 deadline imposed by the Los Angeles City Council.

Earlier this month, the council approved a motion—brought forth by Councilman Kevin de Leon, whose district includes the site—to spend $3.8 million to secure and clean up the area.

The abandoned towers drew widespread attention when several floors of one building were heavily tagged just days before the Feb. 4 Grammy Awards at nearby Crypto.com Arena. Later, one online video showed a paraglider taking off from the tower.

The Oceanwide Plaza was projected to be a crown jewel of downtown development, with two 40-story buildings offering luxury condos and a taller building with more condos and a hotel.

Construction began in 2015 but stopped in 2019 when the Beijing-based developer Oceanwide Holdings ran into financial difficulties.