City Suit Targets Drug Use at Motel

A narcotics abatement lawsuit was filed Thursday against the owners of an allegedly drug-plagued motel in Hyde Park as part of an attempt to curb crime in the southwest Los Angeles neighborhood.

City attorneys filed the suit in Los Angeles Superior Court against Tso An-Chang and Huey O-Chang, who own the 17-unit Crenshaw Motel at 6303 Crenshaw Blvd., located two blocks from two elementary schools.

Police and community activists say the motel has been a magnet for drug dealers and drug addicts, as well as prostitutes and other criminals for decades.

In the last two years, officials say, 28 drug-related arrests were made at the motel and at least 53 grams of cocaine and 27 grams of marijuana were seized during police raids there.

“It’s made this whole area unsafe,” said Elmer Alexander, vice president of the Hyde Park Neighborhood Watch. “People are just afraid of it. I think [the lawsuit] is just fine.”

The suit seeks a preliminary injunction that would restrict the operation of the motel, City Atty. James P. Hahn said at a news conference held in front of the blue and brick-red motel at Crenshaw and 63rd Street.

The injunction would require the owners to follow strict rules such as evicting any occupant engaging in criminal activities, keeping a logbook of all occupants, only allowing one room per occupant and cooperating with law enforcement in any investigations at the motel.

If the owners do not comply with the injunction, the city attorney’s office would begin steps to close the motel, Hahn said. A hearing to determine whether to grant the injunction is scheduled for April 28, officials said.

Lawrena Chang, 36, the daughter of the owners, said in a telephone interview that she doesn’t believe the suit is fair. “People come in and live over there,” she said. “We can’t know everybody. They close the door and how do I know what they will do.”

She added: “Right now, the city and the police, they give us a hard time.

“We can hardly operate the motel. We have maybe only half the business that we used to.”

A motel resident who spoke on condition of anonymity said she was happy to hear that something was being done about the crime at the facility.

The woman said she cannot keep any money or valuables in her room--which she rents for $10 to $35 a day--because of thefts.