Pacoima Business Owners Credit ABC7 Investigation for Clearing Montague Street Encampment Dubbed 'Skid Row of the Valley'

A stretch of Montague Street in Pacoima that local business owners said had been overrun for years with trailers, sewage, trash, and barking dogs has finally been cleared. Area merchants say the cleanup happened only after they contacted ABC7's 7 On Your Side Investigates for help.

Business owners told the station last month that a line of trailers parked outside their buildings was driving customers away. After ABC7 visited the street to document the conditions, city crews removed the vehicles and cleaned the area.

'It Took ABC7 to Come Out Here'

Israel Gamburd, who owns a business on the cleaned stretch of Montague Street, thanked ABC7 and Investigative Reporter Kevin Ozebek after seeing the results.

"Oh my god, Kevin, thank you so much. I mean, it took ABC7 to come out here and do a story on this," he said.

Another business owner, Andres Rauda, said he believes the cleanup happened only because of the attention from Eyewitness News.

"Because of you, because of you, because of Channel 7, 100% because of Channel 7," Rauda said.

The Numbers Behind the Cleanup

The cleaned portion of Montague Street sits inside Council District 7, represented by Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez. Rodriguez said in a statement sent to ABC7 that the removal was part of her broader RV-to-Home program.

"In our continued efforts to remove RV encampments with my RV-to-Home program, we removed an additional five trailers and three RVs along Montague Street in partnership with City departments and West Valley Homes Yes, amounting in a total of 373 individuals housed and 172 vehicles removed," Rodriguez said.

A Street With a Troubled History

Montague Street runs through an industrial corridor in the East San Fernando Valley, where warehouses and light manufacturing dominate the blocks. The street has seen repeated encampment operations over recent months.

• ◆On April 30, an LAPD officer shot and killed a dog after the animal bit the officer and two workers during a cleanup near Montague Street and San Fernando Road, according to NBC Los Angeles.
• ◆All three bite victims were hospitalized but expected to recover, KTLA reported.
• ◆A structure fire at 12420 W Montague St prompted an LAFD response on May 4, though officials did not release injury or damage information.

Local businesses had previously placed concrete barriers to keep RVs from parking outside their properties, according to KTLA. Merchants complained about drug use, theft, and dangerous animals in the area.

Dozens of Trailers Remain

Even with the improvements in front of these businesses, ABC7 reported that dozens of rundown trailers remain elsewhere in the area, many close to homes. The station said it would continue monitoring conditions in Pacoima.

Rodriguez's statement framed the cleanup as part of a broader push to move people off the streets and into stable housing.

"Encampments present serious and ongoing safety risks, and this is another example of why we must move people off the streets and into stable housing," Rodriguez said. "I continue to work with urgency to address encampments and unattended animals to ensure safety for the surrounding community."

What It Means for Pacoima

For business owners like Gamburd and Rauda, the cleanup is a welcome change on a street they say had become unmanageable. For residents and advocates, the question remains whether the removals are permanent or simply a temporary shift in where encampments appear.

ABC7 said viewers with tips or issues they want investigated can contact 7 On Your Side.

This article was generated with AI assistance.