Under construction building draws attention of taggers in East Hollywood, drawing concerns from neighbors

A new empty building has caught the attention of taggers in Los Angeles, just weeks after their artwork went viral when it was discovered on dozens of floors of an abandoned luxury high-rise building downtown. 

The building in East Hollywood, which is under construction, is surrounded by fences and covered in signs saying that the area is under constant surveillance, but that still didn't stop the taggers from swarming. 

Now, the entire side of the five-story building is covered in graffiti, becoming the latest eyesore for many living in the area. 

"It looks bad," said Mario Velasquez, who lives nearby. "Not going to lie, it looks really bad."

Video shows the moments that two men were caught on camera early Wednesday morning as they spray painted the top story of what will eventually be an apartment building near Melrose Avenue and Ardmore Avenue. 

"it sucks, because a lot of people put hard work into it and it's a shame it has to be tagged up," Velasquez said. 

While KCAL News was in the area, they witnessed a person wearing a backpack on top of the building, writing something in what looked to be a pen or marker of some sort. 

"It's pretty shocking that people do this even though there's cameras around," said KC Tilentino, another East Hollywood local. 

Dozens of Los Angeles Police Department officers swarmed the scene after getting permission from the developer to go inside, but they were only able to make it to the third floor before their way was blocked by scaffolding. 

It's this that the taggers have been using to climb to the upper levels of the building, similar to what they were doing at the now viral graffiti towers in downtown LA. 

Los Angeles City Council member Hugo Soto-Martinez, whose district oversees the East Hollywood area, says they're working to resolve the issue before it gets out of control.