Overview
- Mi SELA, an LGBTQ youth center in Bell, reports months of bagged dog feces thrown onto its front awning beginning in late spring.
- After a $2,500 grant funded new cameras, staff say surveillance identified a man, and police say they have tried to contact him but have not released his name.
- Bell Police Chief Damian Velasco says the actions do not meet vandalism standards and there is currently no evidence the site was targeted for its LGBTQ affiliation.
- The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office was consulted, and police classify the conduct as a littering offense that generally requires an officer to witness it for a citation.
- The center seeks an apology and signals it may pursue civil remedies if the behavior continues, as Supervisor Janice Hahn’s office urges a hate-crime probe and a former federal prosecutor notes charges are unlikely without motive.