Videos capture frustration with illegal dumping in Los Angeles

No matter where you go in Los Angeles chances are someone is upset about the trash that's littering their neighborhood or businesses. 

One such place is an alley behind Ruben Donis' home in Pacoima. For years, he's seen, and sometimes recorded, people dump everything from old wood, sandpaper, construction metal mesh and sinks behind his neighborhood. 

"People just come with trash from the job site," Donis said while walking past some of the trash. "There's a sink here. Someone demoed either a kitchen or bathroom."

Donis suspects crooked contractors will charge their clients to haul away trash but pocket the money instead of going to a landfill. During Donis' short interview, KCAL News reporter Jeff Nguyen saw two trucks driving down the alley, including a man looking for scraps, who threw a 2-by-4-inch piece of wood back into the muck after noticing the cameras. 

Another impromptu landfill is in downtown LA near Jeremy Mora's business. His security cameras captured a front loader dumping trash and people dragging large bins before emptying them in the middle of the street at night. It's also happened in broad daylight, during business hours, all captured on camera and with plenty of witnesses. 

The area has been dubbed "Produce Row." It's where fruits and vegetables that end up on people's plates are offloaded from trucks — steps from rats. The pavement is littered with rat droppings. 

"I mean worst-case scenario, these rats get to play with your food," Mora said. "It's a health hazard."

The problem isn't exclusive to Produce Row or Donis' neighborhood in Pacoima. A security camera captured a truck slamming on the brakes to quickly offload a sofa and car bumper near Dj Eddie One's home.

"It was upsetting because it was entire pieces of an engine," Dj Eddie One, who works the morning drive for MEGA 96.3 FM.

KCAL News analyzed data from the LA City Department of Sanitation showing that calls for service on illegal dumping dropped by nearly 14% between 2021 and 2023. However, citations almost doubled during the same period. 

Between January and July 2024, the citation rate dropped compared to last year's rising trend. 

In 2022, the city budget added openings to hire 11 environmental compliance inspectors with enforcement power against illegal dumping. The next year, those 11 positions stayed in place. However, they were deleted from the current budget and no one at City Hall could answer why. 

"Dumping remains a major problem and one we're out in front of," Deputy Mayor of Infrastructure Randall Winston said. "Enforcement is one tool in the toolset."

Winston said Mayor Karen Bass revamped the 311 service to better respond to issues like illegal dumping. According to the City Controller's Office, the Bureau of Sanitation budget increased by nearly $90 million between 2021 and 2023. However, it was cut by more than $15 million from the current fiscal year. 

"I'm not familiar with that number but I will for our response for cleaning up the city, we've actually bolstered our service since the prior year. We're reallocating resources now to develop a new plan for citywide cleaning," Winston said.

Winston said the new plan will roll out either later this year or early 2025. 

On Oct. 1, the LA City Council approved a motion to instruct Sanitation and other necessary departments to identify funding to "resume illegal dumping investigations" because "the unit was not provided the required funding."

"We provided photos, videos, timestamp," Mora said. "No matter how much information and evidence you give them there is absolutely zero enforcement effort."

Video recorded by Artemiza and Gabino Arreola's daughter-in-law shows another instance of an impromptu junkyard. The couple says on top of the trash there is a sheen of motor oil that's also been dumped behind their home. 

Their daughter-in-law says she has reached out to 311 dozens of times and she's forwarded her emails to the Office of Councilmember Monica Rodriguez pleading for help. 

KCAL News made numerous requests with her spokesperson for an interview in October but did not receive a statement from her office until right before this story aired. 

"I take illegal dumping and community cleanliness very seriously," she stated. "My team conducts weekly community drives to ensure this area and all other areas in Council District 7 remain clean."

"Every time, I call Monica to pick up the trash she'll wait like 2 months," Artemiza Arreola said in Spanish, according to Donis who translated for her. 

The Sanitation Department also declined our request for an interview. However, they sent a statement saying they're "committed to combating blight and leveraging existing resources through a strategic approach." The agency also said, "in November, we began deploying crews to additional areas daily to collect litter, debris, illegal dumping and bulky items."

Donis recently came home to trash tossed from the alley into his backyard, which he's worked hard to turn into a retreat. On the other side of the wall, he often finds syringes left behind by scavengers drawn to the trash. He said that the garbage has forced his family to skip out on quality time outside with his children.

"It's sad," he said. "My kids [will say] 'Can we have a movie night?' Bring pillows, a blanket and just be here with a little popcorn and have the family and enjoy, but we can't."

Leading up to this report, the mayor's office sent us photos and videos of a cleanup effort she hosted this past weekend. Donis said he did get a call from Deputy Mayor Winston in mid-November promising more will be done. However, Donis said there hasn't been any follow-up since then. 

Councilwoman Rodriguez's office said it has reached out to the neighborhood featured in the story but the people KCAL News talked to disputed that claim. They said they gave up on calling 311 after years of disappointment.