Officers from Park Station visited a Buena Vista Terrace home yesterday to serve a search warrant. No stolen items were found, but police reportedly discovered several adults sharing a residence that contained multiple code violations and a large stash of methamphetamine.
A squad of officers arrived at the residence at approximately 1:45pm to serve a search warrant after an investigation traced a stolen trailer to the address. The trailer, taken from a painting contractor at a construction site in San Mateo on June 20th, was abandoned across the street from the raided house, which has been the subject of 40 calls for service in the last six months, police said.
Two men sought in connection with the stolen trailer weren't home when the warrant was served, but were taken into custody later when they drove onto the street while the operation was taking place. Residents were handcuffed and led to the sidewalk as officers searched the home.
According to Sgt. Rob Terry, the building was in squalid condition. Because the power had been disconnected, residents were using gasoline generators, which "is definitely dangerous to do on a long-term basis," he said. Police found multiple refrigerators containing spoiled food, trash bins piled "six feet high," and what were believed to be several non-permitted alterations, such as newly constructed rooms and a backyard deck.
The men who were taken into custody "were the primary guys" police were seeking, but both were later released pending the verification of their statements. Terry said they're pursuing a new lead in the case.
The warrant was received by the home's owner, an 85-year-old man in poor health who's nearly blind; his adult daughter is one of the home's residents, Terry said.
An extensive search turned up "a good bit of meth," said Terry, which was enough to charge a female resident with possession for sale. She was arrested at the scene and transported to Park Station for booking.
The high volume of calls for service were generated by neighbor complaints about "quality-of-life stuff" like barking dogs, the use of power tools after midnight and other noise, as well as many different people "going in and out" at unusual hours, said Terry.
Neighbors who spoke to us repeated several of these allegations and said the home was occupied by approximately nine adults and three dogs.
"This house had been on our radar for months," said Terry. "Things went downhill. It would take something like this to make it safe."