Residents of a Mid-Wilshire neighborhood have been terrorized by a naked man roaming around their properties for months, screaming at all hours and committing lewd acts.
The man, believed to be homeless, saunters around the neighborhood at all hours of the day and night, with residents saying they’re frightened and frustrated.
“Most nights, he sleeps naked anywhere he can find access to someone’s yard or stairwell,” said one resident who did not want to be named. “He will be naked and will sometimes do not nice things.”
Another resident said she hasn’t ever felt intimidated by his presence, but that all changed when she woke up and saw him in her backyard.
“That’s a little bit different, when someone’s on your property,” she told KTLA’s Mary Beth McDade.
Another worry is that the neighborhood, according to residents, is packed with children and they say the situation is not safe for them or for that matter anyone.
“This neighborhood is filled with 5-year-olds, 8-year-olds, teenagers, and he’s being found in the backyard and the parents are very concerned,” a woman explained.
She added that the man walks around with items that could be used as weapons.
“There have been times he’s been found with weapons,” she said. “A few weeks ago, he was arrested with a taser. Two days ago, he was walking around with a golf club.”
She says that on Saturday night, she was forced to chase him off of her property.
“My daughter, she’s 16-years-old, was with her three friends. She walked in the door at 11 o’clock and at 11:30, he was naked on my front stoop,” she said.
On Sunday, the man, now identified as 51-year-old Dushaun Barnett, was arrested for stealing clothes, towels and camper parts from a resident. Those who live in on the street, though, anticipate he will soon return. Many believe he used to live in the area and feels comfortable there.
They say they would like to see him removed from the neighborhood and get the mental health they believe he needs.
“He gets released to wait for the trial. He doesn’t show up for the trial because he’s not competent and then he comes back into this neighborhood and most of us are feeling a little on edge,” the resident explained.