MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - Police arrested three people at a condemned building in South Beach, as the property was once again taken over by squatters despite fears it could collapse.
Friday morning brought the latest round of arrests at a building that has become a real pain on the block.
The property, located at 1619 Lennox Ave., has been condemned by the city, but has been recently occupied and served as an unauthorized home for the homeless.
7News cameras captures Miami Beach Police officers as they descended on the building for a sweep, Friday morning.
The arrests happen five days after police arrested 10 people at the building for trespassing.
One of them, Eric Gospodarek, was arrested last summer and accused of battering an elderly woman and attacking a doctor walking on Lincoln Road.
In court, the new trespassing charges against him were dropped.
“But you must not go back to the building where you were arrested,” said Miami-Dade Circuit Judge.
Against the judges orders, Gospodarek was back at the building the next day, but not for long.
On Monday, police made sure he and the others kept moving.
People who live and work in the area are glad to see them go
“I’m kind of curious. What’s keeping them from coming back?” said Cyrus Brackin, who works in Miami Beach.
“It’s honestly kind of annoying to even have this conversation,” said a resident walking by the property.
Just a few days later, 1619 Lennox Ave. would be home to squatters again. Three people were led out by officers, Friday morning.
“Unfortunately, we had some people breaking in, and we had to removed them,” said the property manager.
The property manager said that while work is planned to repair the building, she’s making sure uninvited guests will be unable to return.
Additions made to the property in an effort to keep squatters away include boarding up the doors and nailing the windows shut, along with more ‘No trespassing’ signs and guard patrolling the property.
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