Vacant California home where 12-year-old boy was killed had recent history of trespassing reports
In the two years before a 12-year-old was fatally shot at a National City house party, police received a few calls about the hilltop property, including a report of at least one party.
Its owners — who plan to tear down and redevelop the site — have repeatedly boarded it up and tried to keep it secure, a city official said Monday, but people still broke in.
Five people were shot shortly before midnight Friday at the vacant home on N Avenue. Seventh-grader Elijah Smith died at the scene, and four others — most of them under age 18 — were injured. As of Monday, National City police had not publicly identified any suspects.
Police said the party had been advertised on social media. National City Mayor Ron Morrison said he was told people paid to get in, and at least four of the victims were not residents of the city. The home, he said, had not been a problematic site that he was aware of.
National City police Sgt. Mark Segal had only limited information Monday but said there have been four to six calls to police regarding the site in the last two years. The calls, he said, included reports of loud music, a party, and some from the property owner to report trespassers.
The home is one of several structures on two neighboring hilltop parcels. In April 2022, the two parcels were sold to a company named Big Oz LLC for a total of $2.15 million.
Through its attorney, the company issued a statement Monday extending “our deepest sympathy to the victims and their families, who have been impacted by this senseless act of violence.” The company also said it is “fully cooperating with the authorities and hope that the perpetrators of this illegal activity on our property will be brought to justice.”
Big Oz LLC said it acquired the property intending to redevelop the two structures, which were no longer habitable. It also said the property had not been abandoned. “Prior to this tragedy we have been diligently processing a demolition permit with the City to remove the buildings and clear brush,” it said.
The company said that as it waited for the permit decision, it took “multiple actions to secure the property and discourage trespassers from entering,” including boarding it up, posting signs forbidding trespassing and cutting off water and electricity. The company also said its representatives regularly visit the site, and it has “coordinated multiple police actions to prevent transient activity on the property.”
Carlos Aguirre, National City’s director of community development, said there have been no code enforcement calls regarding the site and that the owner has repeatedly boarded it up.
“They have made good faith efforts to keep the property secure,” Aguirre said. “Unfortunately people find ways to break in.”
He said the city issued final comments regarding the demolition permit application in March, and the property owner responded to those comments Monday. With that, he said, the demolition permit will be issued on payment.
No plans for the site have been filed with the city, but Aguirre said it is the city’s understanding that the developer intends to build multi-unit housing at the site.
Trees obstruct a direct view of the vacant homes, which sit at the end of a long driveway atop a hill, with single-story homes and apartment complexes near its base. Neighbor Marlon Gonzales said he and his neighbors were stunned Saturday morning to hear that a shooting had occurred at the site.
“We’ve been living here almost 15 years and we’ve never had a problem. I thought it was abandoned,” Gonzales said Monday as he walked his dog past a makeshift memorial set up for the victim, Elijah, at the base of the hill. “I was really surprised to hear people were shot.”
Staff writer Caleb Lunetta contributed to this report.