A downtown Los Angeles landlord is at the center of a rare criminal case under the city’s Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance, after tenants in a 43-unit building say years of threats, chemical spray, and violence turned their homes into a place of constant fear. Residents and organizers say chronic maintenance failures, including leaking walls, roach infestations, and locked doors, piled on top of what they describe as a pattern of intimidation inside the building.
Neighbors point to the owner, Nela Petrusan, as the flash point at 1430 Wright St., and journalists who have followed the case say the prosecution is anything but routine. Tenants may file numerous complaints and civil lawsuits, but criminal charges against landlords remain uncommon. According to the Los Angeles Times, eight tenants accuse Petrusan of using bear mace, threatening to call immigration authorities, and engaging in physical violence, and public records show more than 100 housing complaints at the property since 2021.
How the city’s anti-harassment law works
The Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance makes a wide range of landlord conduct unlawful, from withholding repairs and services to explicit threats and intimidation, and it gives tenants both civil and criminal tools to fight back. As explained by the Los Angeles Housing Department, violations can be prosecuted as misdemeanors with potential fines and jail time, and successful civil claims can result in treble damages, attorney fees, and other relief.
City prosecutions remain rare
Local reporting notes that the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office has taken the unusual step of filing criminal charges tied to this one building, with prosecutors bringing a multi-count complaint that includes alleged harassment and code violations. The City Attorney’s Office confirmed to NBC Los Angeles that Petrusan faces dozens of counts and that some code-violation issues are also included in criminal filings.
Tenants’ accounts and the evidence cited
In tenant accounts and in court filings, a series of disturbing episodes emerges: a reported car fire in July 2024, at least one tenant alleging she was hit with bear spray, and another saying a dog bite led to surgery. Reporters reviewing medical records and court documents detail those claims and note that a warrant was issued after missed court dates, developments that the Los Angeles Times has chronicled. For a closer look at the allegations and documentation, the paper’s coverage lays out the timeline in detail.
Legal stakes for landlords and tenants
Under city rules, criminal penalties for tenant harassment can include fines and time in jail, while civil lawsuits can carry sizable monetary awards as well as relocation assistance or rent refunds for tenants. The Los Angeles Housing Department outlines how those remedies work and explains how the Rent Escrow Account Program (REAP) can be used when habitability problems keep dragging on.
What organizers say and what to watch
Tenant organizers argue the case shows both the promise and the limits of the ordinance: criminal prosecution is clearly possible, they say, but is still rarely brought to bear. They are pushing the city to use the law more aggressively in other buildings with long-running complaint histories. Community advocates and coverage from NBC Los Angeles note that the outcome of the prosecutions and related civil suits could influence how the city handles alleged landlord misconduct in the years ahead.
