Arnold Schwarzenegger Calls Ladera Heights Eviction Of His 102-Year-Old Friend Thelma 'Heartless'
LADERA HEIGHTS (CBSLA) — A 102-year-old woman who is being evicted from her Ladera Heights home has received the support of none other than the Terminator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The former California governor tweeted Friday that the eviction of his "dear friend" Thelma Smith is "heartless."
"Thelma has been a dear friend for a long time," Schwarzenegger wrote. "Imagine doing this to a 102-year-old woman who gave back to the community her whole life. It is heartless. Thelma, I'll be reaching out to help. Landlords, you'll hear from me too."
Smith's landlord is evicting her so that his daughter can move into the home once she graduates from law school. She must vacate the home by June 30.
"Only thing I can say is I have tried to live a good life," Smith told CBS2 Tuesday. "I never wanted to harm anybody."
Her family and friends say her options are limited to moving in with someone nearby or moving into an assisted living facility, which is difficult for her on her fixed income.
"She has not accepted the fact that after these many years, she has to leave," family friend Antonio Avelino told CBS2.
In her lifetime, Smith worked as an executive secretary for the Sugar Ray Youth Foundation. Now she spends most of her time in her home.
"Would you take care of your child?" the landlord replied when asked by CBS2's Amy Johnson whether he feels OK about kicking out a 102-year-old woman out of her home.
Smith has lost most of her family over the years, including her husband. Most of her remaining family, consisting of a few nieces and nephews, reside on the East Coast.
A GoFundMe has been established to help Smith. For more information, click here.