Bell police unable to stop man from throwing bags of dog poop at LGBTQ center

An LGBTQ youth center in Bell has been dealing with a man who has been throwing bags of dog poop at their building for months, but police said they can't do anything about it.

Since June, Mi SELA LGBTQ+ has been climbing ladders to clean dozens of poop bags off their awning. After a few months, Supervisor Janice Hahn gave the center a $2,500 grant to install new security cameras. 

The upgrades allowed the center to identify the man and alerted the Bell Police Department.

However, Bell Police Department Chief Damien Velasco said they have worked with city leaders and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, all of whom came to the same conclusion. 

"It's a littering offense, which means if a police officer was present and witnessed the littering, they could write a citation," Velasco said.

Supervisor Hahn's Office called on officers to investigate the situation as a hate crime. 

"We cannot allow incidents like this to be normalized. It is hateful, it is disgusting, and it must stop," said Matthew Johnson, a spokesperson for Hahn's Office. 

Former federal prosecutor Naema Rahmani said it's unlikely this would be classified as a hate crime, unless detectives can find a motive. 

"Typically, you see some sort of crime of violence, or physical destruction or damage to property," Rahmani said. "Because you don't have that, you can't get to the next level, which is the motivation of the crime, which is an enhancement."

Mi SELA staff said they have tried to speak with the man and simply want an apology, but will take civil legal action against him if the bags continue to appear on their awning.

"Let's heal whatever needs to be healed and let's work together," executive director Eddie Martinez said.