69°
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
7 Day Forecast
Follow our weather team on social media

'Terrible situation' involving dilapidated house, homeless moving into neighborhood

2 months 3 weeks 5 days ago Friday, July 19 2024 Jul 19, 2024 July 19, 2024 3:49 PM July 19, 2024 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - More homeowners in the Inniswold Estates and Jefferson Terrace neighborhoods are talking about their experiences with the homeless population living at a property on one of their streets.

Several people tell 2 On Your Side they're requesting the property be cleaned up and that someone restore the calm in their once peaceful area of the city. For the past several years, Shawn Sellers says he's been scared to take a walk in his own neighborhood.

"It's terrifying the fact that we have to live like that," he said.

The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office has had several visits to the house on Houston Drive. Several people have been arrested. One of them, Timothy Willeman, has been seen walking around the neighborhood all hours of the day, sometimes nude. He has been caught defecating in front yards, looking into windows, and entering homes without invitation.

"He went into the refrigerator, took out a beer, opened the beer, sat down at their island," said Sellars.

One neighbor took a video of Willeman climbing a street pole barefoot and rolling around in the grass. While he's in jail, the neighborhood continues to have visitors at the property on Houston Drive.

"The reason they're coming to my neighborhood is that house," said Sellars.

Last week, 2 On Your Side shared a video of the inside of the house attracting the homeless. The place is trashed, the windows are smashed, the front door is missing the handle, and it smells awful. Cory Bech is the man who took the video. He went to the house looking for the person who damaged his mailbox.

"There's a man who lives there that goes around the neighborhood and beats up mailboxes," said Bech.

Behind the property there are two large holes in the barrier wall leading to the interstate. DOTD is working to make repairs. Sellars says more paths have been created cutting through to Bluebonnet Boulevard.

"Unless there's something that can be done about it we're in a terrible situation," said Sellars.

The house is owned by Austin Duszynski and the property taxes are current. The city says the property has their attention and blight enforcement is underway. The next blight court date is July 25. Duszynski has until Monday to clean up his property or could face fines. It's not the first time the city has done enforcement action at this address.

Willeman is being held on a $4,500 bail. He currently does not have an arraignment set.

More News

Desktop News

Click to open Continuous News in a sidebar that updates in real-time.
Radar
7 Days