A dramatic police raid has occurred at a noisy “squatting” mansion in Beverly Hills that plagues its celebrity district with nightly rave parties.
Los Angeles police responded to reports of a home invasion just after 3 p.m. Friday at the $4.3 million mansion that hosted a series of out-of-control parties in October.
Despite counting Lebron James and “Family Guy” creator Seth McFarlane as neighbors, police were seemingly powerless to stop the ongoing raves — until Friday's incident reportedly involved multiple suspects armed with a knife.
Apparently one of the all-day parties was taking place, where a number of guests were seen handcuffed and lined up on an outdoor patio after police officers broke into the house.
According to KTLA, all those detained were later released and no charges were filed.
The LAPD raided the $4.3 million Beverly Hills party mansion on Friday after reports of a home invasion
The fenced house belonged to Dr. Munir Uwaydah, who fled the United States in 2013 while his girlfriend's murder was being investigated
The villa belonged to the suspected fraudster and alleged murderer Dr. Munir Uwaydah, who fled the United States in 2013 as part of an investigation into his girlfriend's murder.
He was accused of defrauding Medicare of millions of dollars and was reportedly most recently living in Beirut.
The property was repossessed by Uwaydah's mortgage lender and is currently on the market for over $4.5 million, but has since been taken over by “squatters” who claim they are the valid tenants.
revealed this week that the alleged persistent squatters include a man accused of beating his ex-girlfriend, and that a regular visitor was also implicated in an alleged multimillion-dollar student loan scam.
Since October, wild, almost nightly parties have been taking place on the sprawling property, often starting at 2 a.m.
The “squatters” are even offering rooms in the 5,857-square-foot four-bed room on Booking.com for $300 a night and charging hundreds of party guests $75 at the entrance.
The posh neighborhood – which also includes billionaire Jeff Bezos and John Legend – has since complained about the brawls, which have previously led to assaults, fires and arrests.
As first reported earlier this month, a relentless week of goodbyes earlier this year left the chic cul-de-sac overflowing with trash.
The vacant mansion has been harassing its celebrity neighbors for months, hosting all-night parties that keep the street busy all night long. Pictured: A group of partygoers arrive at the house
Investigator Mark Ebner cordoned off the property and watched as dozens of partygoers arrived and left
Scenes on the streets outside the mansion included nitrous oxide canisters, partygoers inhaling from balloons to get high, crushed solo cups, vomit and condom packets.
Before the raves ruined the picturesque area, Lebron James chose a spot just a stone's throw away as the location for his “dream home” and previously demolished a lavish $36.8 million mansion on the site to make room.
James' property manager, who did not want to be named, told earlier this month that he had to have security guards around the NBA star's construction site around the clock because of the squatters' parties, among other things.
“I've heard from my security team up there about all the crazy cars and crazy parties at night, that sometimes we can't get into our property because they're blocking the road with their cars, and just the nuisance at night with loud music and people pouring into the streets,” he said.
“That's one of the reasons we have 24/7 security. Otherwise, I don't need 24/7 security there because it's just a construction site.”
Ahead of Friday's raid, questions were raised as to why local police seemed unable to put an end to the troublemakers.
Just a few meters from the party house is NBA star LeBron James' new dream house, which is currently under construction
The land where LeBron James is building his home used to be a huge mansion (pictured) where Hollywood legend Audrey Hepburn lived
NBA star LeBron James – pictured left with his wife Savannah in June – began building his dream home in Beverly Hills after tearing down the $36.8 million luxury mansion he purchased in September 2020 had
A neighbor, Rick Rankin, told that police were unable to evict the residents because they had obtained a driver's license with the property's address and even provided a rental agreement that the property's current agent claims to be fake.
“The officers told me the house was vandalized,” said Rankin, a 65-year-old technology consultant. “It's like they're hoarders.” The garage is full of shit.
“Young women were seen coming in and out of the house 24 hours a day.
“When people walk, they stumble.” You know when someone is high. It's not a drunken thing. They are nervous, nervous, their eyes are spinning.
“One night there was a party I was walking past and there were at least 50 cars. These are narrow one-way streets, but they just park their cars and get out.”
Although no charges were filed as a result of Friday's raid, the LAPD has reportedly opened a narcotics case related to drugs photographed by private investigator Mark Ebner.
According to neighbors, a party attendee's Porsche was towed last week after investigator Mark Ebner photographed a bag of pill capsules in the back. The pills and other evidence of drug use around the squat prompted the LAPD to refer the case to its drug division
In the last week alone, squatters have held parties on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights and left trash on the cul-de-sac outside, including nitrous oxide canisters – also called “whippets” – crushed Solo cups, vomit and condom packets
The property is cited for a violation for a “loud, unruly gathering” on New Year’s Day
Ebner was hired by the property's rightful owner and the real estate agent who wanted to sell it, which resulted in him spending several nights outside the mansion and watching the noisy goings-on from the street.
“If you listen at 8 a.m. after a night of partying, it's like Night of the Living Dead up there.” These people are zombies. “They're just completely exhausted from the rush they've experienced,” he said.
“There are nitrous oxide canisters, broken glass and the like on the street.”
Earlier this month, Ebner photographed a bag of pill capsules in the back seat of a participant's Porsche 911, which was subsequently towed away by police.
The pills and other potential evidence of drug use throughout the home prompted the LAPD to refer the case to its drug unit.
Ebner said he also turned over all of his files on the accused squatters and their parties to the department's Major Crimes Unit.
Despite the alleged problems associated with the villa, the “squatters” have made no secret of their escapades.
They appeared to have listed the home as a vacation rental on Booking.com and shared photos of the inside of the home, which features four bedrooms, six bathrooms, a pool and a bar – as well as an LED-lit disco room.
The Booking.com listing for the home calls it the “Beverly Hills Lodge” and offers a room for four people for $300 a night, including a “60-minute massage.”
“At the lodge, guests are welcome to use a spa center,” the listing reads. “A casino and children’s playground are available to guests at Beverly Hills Lodge.”
Indoor parties are even advertised on the event website get-in.com, with start times until midnight and a $75 entry fee, which organizers say was “for the Nova Festival victims of the October 7 massacre.” a Reference to the Hamas attacks on Israel.
Photos from the four-bedroom, six-bathroom home show it has a pool and bar – and, according to neighbors, a disco room with LED lighting
Listing agent John Woodward told that he first discovered squatters were in the home when he showed the property to potential buyers in October and discovered the locks and gate code had been changed
The LAPD faced a number of operations at the mansion. The Citizen app recorded incidents including an attack by a man in a bucket hat on someone with a metal box on Jan. 13, a battery incident on Dec. 2 and a reported burglary on Nov. 23.
An aide to Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky told neighbors in an email that “the LAPD is working with the district attorney's office to file a trespass authorization form so they have the authority to remove squatters from the property.”
LAPD Senior Lead Officer James Allen, who told he was leading the investigation, said the controversial residents claimed to police that they were friends of the former owner and had been invited by him to live in the house .
However, he added that the current ownership of the house is uncertain, that bankruptcy proceedings have been initiated in court and that foreclosure on the house is imminent.
“I guess he left his friends in the house.” I think we can say they are squatters. “But they are squatters of the owner who is in bank foreclosure,” Allen said.
“We are working with the bank on a plan to kick the people out because there is currently no one to kick them out and say they are there illegally.”
“I presented it to the prosecutor. I call the house every time we get a radio call for a party.
“They are using the house illegally outside of its original purpose.”
Indoor parties are even advertised on the event website get-in.com, where start times are listed until midnight and tickets are $75
Organizers detail how to get to the parties, one of which reportedly raised money for victims of the Hamas attack on Israel
Despite police investigations into the house, locals are growing disgruntled that no action has been taken to actually stop the problem.
Jeff Scapa, a private mortgage lender, told he loaned $3.8 million to the current owner, a company called MDRCA Properties LLC.
Scapa said a court ruled he could foreclose on the home, but that process was frozen when MDRCA filed for bankruptcy last month.
Scapa said he found out that squatters had taken over the house in October last year and shared videos with in which a man admitted he started moving his belongings into the house “in the first week of October”. .
He said he and MDRCA offered the alleged squatters $25,000 in cash to leave, but they declined.
Scapa said he is frustrated with the police and courts in Los Angeles for not already evicting the alleged illegal residents.
“Everyone knows this guy shouldn’t be there and they’re not doing anything,” he said.