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Residents worried about homeless in neighborhood

Posted at 5:49 PM, May 09, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-10 00:56:08-04
Folks at a local mobile home park are coming to 13 Action News for help.
 
They are upset the area right behind their homes is becoming a haven for the homeless.
 
The Rulon Earl Mobile Home Park near Stewart Avenue and Pecos Road is well kept. People who live there take pride in that and keep an eye on things.
 
However, in the last few months, they have had some unwelcome visitors on the other side of the wall.
 
"We have a problem with the homeless that are living on the other side of the brick wall," said Debbie Zupancic, who has lived here for three years. "We've had them coming through our park at night."
 
People in the park mostly stopped walking back there behind the property, and now they are worried about their homes.
 
"The danger is them setting fires in the back," said Aaron Rhodes, a member of the neighborhood watch. "If one catches on to one of these mobile homes, it's going to burn up the whole park, and that's a huge concern."
 
Zupancic said lots of people living at Rulon Earl had things taken. Though they cannot prove it is the homeless people taking them, they have strong suspicions.
 
"I've seen a lady pushing carts, and I approached her ... and asked her where was she going, and she stated she was going to Sarah's house," said Rhodes. "Well, there's no Sarah that lives in this park."
 
He said most of the homeless people disappear during the day and come back to camp out at night. He and others say they have called the police, but he has not seen officers out there in several months.
 
"If they would make a better presence that may help," Rhodes said.
 
The area where the homeless people are camping out is not Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority property. Dwayne Alexander, who oversees Rulon Earl for the SNRHA, told us they have worked with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department to clear out the area.
 
Jace Radke, the spokesman for the City of Las Vegas, said they were not aware of this issue and will send out their homeless outreach.
 
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department reached out to the command center for that portion of the city, but they did not respond.