A home in Lakewood has sat burned out and abandoned for years, and its property owner says he’s unable to do anything about it due to zoning regulations in the Colorado city.
“It’s just gone downhill,” said Javier Torralba. “They’ve been breaking into the property, homeless people coming in and out as they please.”
In the five years Torralba has lived next door, there have been more than 20 calls for first responders to come to this property, ranging from burglary and shots fired to a recovered stolen vehicle. All but one happened after an April 2023 fire.
“It’s just unsettling,” said Torralba. “I have two children that I’m trying to raise. They’re both under 5 years old, and it’s not really easy for me to deal with stuff like that.”…