Azusa residents furious as LA Metro repeatedly dumps homeless people overnight

A California city is demanding answers from Los Angeles Metro after residents have accused the transport agency of dumping passengers on their streets overnight, with allegations of break-ins, stolen parcels and public urination.Furious officials in Azusa say the practice of forcing passengers off late-night trains is placing an unfair burden on residents and police, despite the A Line continuing beyond their city to its terminus in Pomona.The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.

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Never miss a story Resident Anthony Lujan, who lives near the APU/Citrus College station, has been documenting activity around his home since March.“We have seen an influx of homeless people being kicked off the train at a certain time and then they’re just roaming into the community, which is terrorizing our neighbors,” he told KTLA.Surveillance footage supplied by Lujan reportedly shows people climbing over a metal gate into a residential complex, while one man appears to defecate outside a front door.Lujan said neighbours had also experienced package thefts and attempted break-ins.But Metro insists the overnight clearances are necessary to allow crews to clean trains and perform essential maintenance before services resume in the morning.The agency says the final two A Line trains stop in Azusa because continuing to Pomona would leave workers with only about 45 minutes to complete their tasks.The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed deputies routinely clear passengers from trains at Azusa when services end.Azusa Mayor Edward Alvarez said the arrangement was placing additional pressure on a city without the resources to manage the situation.“An ideal solution honestly would be to get fare gates and to stop kicking off all the riders here in Azusa,” he said.“We don’t have the resour...