Building Collapse Probed as Possible Homicide

Los Angeles police officials said Monday that they are investigating last week’s collapse of an aging Echo Park apartment complex as a potential homicide.

Juan Francisco Pineda, a 31-year-old father of two, was killed and at least 35 people were injured when the building suddenly shifted and gave way Friday morning.

City officials also said Monday that they have uncovered “very troubling” information during their own inquiry into the collapse, including a confusing paper trail that has made it nearly impossible to determine who owns and operates the 24-unit building in the 1600 block of West Park Avenue.

Precisely who owned and ran the apartments will become increasingly important as authorities try to determine whether anyone should be held civilly or criminally liable for failing to repair any structural deficiencies that might have played a role in the collapse.

The building, which has had problems in the past, has had several owners, most prominently a California general partnership named City Properties, which owned the complex from 1986 to 1999, Los Angeles County property records show. That partnership is composed of Barry, Dan and Stanley Wallman, who say they have been in business together since 1984.

Records show that the Wallman brothers, particularly Barry, a 48-year-old Camarillo resident, own many apartments throughout Los Angeles, including other buildings that have attracted the scrutiny of city building inspectors.

Two years ago, city officials cited City Properties for the Echo Park building’s condition, saying the 75-year-old wood and stucco complex had a damaged foundation.

Although city inspectors approved mandated repairs months later, it was unclear Monday how inspectors reached that conclusion.

Then, on July 1, 1999--one month after a city hearing officer ordered Barry Wallman to fix the building’s foundation--ownership of the complex was transferred to Desiderio Martinez, a man whose address is given as Apartment 201 in the building.

City officials said they were puzzled that Martinez apparently paid between $22,000 and $90,000 for the property, which was recently assessed at $576,000, according to tax records. Also, Martinez apparently borrowed no money to buy the building, county property records show.

“I think the property is worth more,” Bobb said. “I’m skeptical that this was an above-the-board, fair transaction. It may very well be, as part of a larger package of land transfers.”

City Properties could have transferred ownership of the building to Martinez as a “straw buyer,” a possibility city officials said they are investigating, to shield the partnership from liability or the city’s continued enforcement actions. The partners then could still have managed the building and collected rent from tenants.

Indeed, several residents said, they wrote their rent checks to Barry or Dan Wallman. One resident said two of the brothers visited the site as recently as last week.

The Wallmans could not be reached for comment, and no one was home at the Camarillo home owned by Barry Wallman.

Sgt. John Pasquariello, an LAPD spokesman, said that homicide detectives are investigating complaints by tenants regarding leaky pipes, odd noises, spreading cracks and doors that would not close at the complex in the days before the collapse.

“How did that building fall?” asked Pasquariello. “Was there any criminal intent or negligence that caused that building to collapse?”

Pasquariello cautioned that investigators may determine that no homicide investigation is warranted, once engineers learn why the building shifted and then buckled.

Monday, however, 10 detectives from the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division spent the day interviewing tenants about conditions at the building, repairs that may or may not have been made--and about who they believe owns and operates it.

By evening, detectives had interviewed about 70 residents, ushering them to command posts and police cars away from the building to answer questions.

Bobb and other city officials said they want to identify the building’s owners and managers--the Wallmans or Martinez or someone else--in anticipation of civil lawsuits, which they expect will be filed by those injured in the collapse and by Pineda’s relatives.

City housing officials spent the day poring over piles of deeds, trusts and other financial documents, but didn’t succeed in determining who actually owns and manages the building.

“There are some very troubling aspects of our investigation thus far,” said Bobb, adding that the case appears to be “more complicated than other cases we’ve investigated.”

Although he declined to elaborate, Bobb did say that officials are concerned about their inability to trace ownership of the building.

“Usually it is a lot clearer than this,” said Bobb. “But I’m sure we will be able to sort it all out, eventually. There has been a death, and we want to make sure we have the right owner before we finger anybody.”

Times staff writers Ted Rohrlich, Kurt Streeter and Thuy-Doan Le and correspondent Catherine Blake contributed to this story.