Bel Air mansion belonging to Osama bin Laden's half-brother covered with graffiti
A mansion that partially belongs to the half-brother of Osama bin Laden has become the third multi-million dollar home to get hit by an onslaught of graffiti in recent weeks.
The property, which sits in Lower Bel Air, is nearly covered in spray paint at every square inch, which could be seen when SkyCal flew overhead on Saturday evening. However, the tagging happened several days earlier, becoming yet another vacant luxury home to get hit by vandals.
The first two homes, each located in the Hollywood Hills, are said to belong to movie producer John Powers Middleton, the son of Philadelphia Phillies owner John S. Middleton.
YouTuber and urban explorer Davy Mercado, who goes by @clickclackbrainsplat online, explored the property before talking with KCAL News on Saturday, showing the graffiti covering the walls and ground both inside and out of the home.
He first visited the home last year, when the home was painted pink and hadn't yet been targeted by the tagging.
"I don't condone it. I don't support it," he said. "I just happened to stumble upon something that was undocumented and that's just what I happened to get on Friday."
The broker with whom the property is listed — for a whopping $21.5 million — confirmed that it is partially owned by Ibrahim bin Laden, half-brother of the infamous Al Qaeda founder and militant leader. They say that it has been vacant for more than two decades, outside of a manager who left the property four years ago after falling ill.
Adam Latham, a photographer who was hired to snap some shots of the property several years ago, said he was shocked to find out the history.
"It was pretty strange and I was slightly concerned whether I should mention it to any of my clients because it was a bit awkward," Latham said.
All of this comes after the "graffiti towers" in Downtown Los Angeles drew attention across the nation when dozens of floors of an abandoned luxury apartment project were similarly covered in tons of street art.
Los Angeles Police Department officers were called to the property on Friday after they learned of the vandalism and that someone had broken in. The property manager declined to file a report, however, so no arrests have been made.
The realtor says that there is one offer on the table at the time, with plans to tear the building down and replace it with something else.