2 arrested at abandoned downtown LA ‘Graffiti Tower’

LOS ANGELES — Two men were arrested Wednesday for allegedly breaking into a much-publicized abandoned luxury skyscraper in downtown Los Angeles that has been heavily covered in graffiti and even used by trespassers for base jumping. A group of up to eight people reportedly broke into the Oceanwide Plaza property near the 1100 block of Figueroa Street late Tuesday night, and police surrounded the location. Two men in their 20s were arrested about 8 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Their names were not immediately available for release. The arrests at Oceanwide Plaza occurred after the city recently installed new fencing around the property, which was abandoned by Chinese developers who went bankrupt before the project could be completed. The persistent issues with tagging and other crimes at the property have prompted the city to threaten legal action against the development company and spend money of its own to erect the fencing and increase security. Several floors at each of the three unfinished buildings in downtown LA’s Oceanwide Plaza development have been tagged by graffiti artists, as seen Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. (Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer) Several floors at each of the three unfinished buildings in downtown LA’s...