The Stanislaus County Insider
Around 1 am on July 5, a house caught fire and nearly burned to the ground. The smell of burnt rubber still permeates much of the neighborhood. Among the charred remains are remnants of multiple bicycle parts including what used to be tires on rims and a large amount of bicycle frames which seems rather odd considering this was originally a single family dwelling.
Some residents are happy to see the house gone.
"I can't tell you how happy I am to see this house burned to the ground. I wish it would have caught on fire sooner, said one neighborhood resident. "Drug use was rampant in there. I think there was a meth lab in there”.
A neighborhood in shambles.
Neighborhood residents speaking to Stancoinsider on the condition we not use their names report that heroin and methamphetamine use were a major factor in not only the overall condition of the house, but the temperament of the occupants as well.
In June a man reportedly living at this residence was arrested for attempted murder, after a stabbing incident which left one man hospitalized with a puncture wound to his liver and lung. The victim in this case is reportedly “one of the nicest guys you would want to meet”, “he’s known in our neighborhood as the guy who fixes things, and he would come to your house and fix something for you for very little money, if you had to pay him at all”. “He’s a really nice guy.”
However, it was garbage and shopping carts thrown around the property that finally caused the county to step in.
According to a document obtained by Stancoinsider, the county cited the listed property owner for violations including “accumulation of debris, refuse and rubbish”, in violation of county code section 9.04.020. The violation was issued and occupants were given until January 11th to clean up the property. That never happened. The property has remained in violation of nuisance laws ever since, despite the county’s administrative civil citation.
In a make shift building at the back of the property there were several people bustling around with an energy level so intensified, it can only be conducive to one thing- methamphetamine use. The entire back part of the property is covered in garbage and the homemade building is home to at least 5 people, according to one neighbor, but there could be as many as a dozen according to another, despite the fact that the property has not had any running water or electricity for years.
The cause of the fire is currently unknown and there were no reported injuries.
A place that has caused so much distress for this entire neighborhood is now gone, but for area residents this is not the time to celebrate it’s the time to turn their attention to an even greater threat.
A cry for help.