Tent City crackdown
Pattie Barnes pleads with an Ontario police officer not to have her motor home towed from a homeless encampment known as Tent City. Ontario, which created a sanctuary where the homeless could eat, sleep and live without featrof harassment, has begun ticketing and towing away vehicles of many of the residents. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Tent City resident Cindy Duke, right, consoles Pattie Barnes, who was upset that police had towed her motor home. Barnes and her 19-year-old son had been living in the motor home since her husband died more than a year ago. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Some residents of Tent City feel betrayed by officials, who they say promised to leave residents alone if they moved into the encampment near Ontario International Airport. “I think they lied to us,” said Linda Parker. “We don’t want to live this way. I feel they are stripping us of our last bit of dignity.” (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
A dog named Wannabe leans out a window to watch as Ontario police towed motor homes. . (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
The population of Tent City grew rapidly from18 to more than 300. City officials, worried about the expansion, say they want to limit the area to Ontario residents but haven’t figured out how to do it. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
