Residents Protest 'Sober House' After Frightening Encounter

RIO LINDA (CBS13) – Neighbors voiced concerns about a sober house in the middle of a Rio Linda neighborhood after one of its occupants was arrested last week in a bizarre incident.

Ajit Singh, 70, said he was woken up in the middle of the night by a man banging on his home, screaming obscenities and unintelligible words for no discernable reason.

"He was so high," Singh said. "I tried to dial 911 and I was so scared I couldn't even dial."

Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies arrested the man, who had walked out of a nearby sober house that had moved in across the street. Neighbors called county code enforcement to complain, but learned that the home, rented out by a Christian non-profit organization called the Pacific Coast Slavic Baptists Association, doesn't need a permit as long as six or fewer guests are living in the home at one time.

Residents gathered at the American Legion Hall to meet with county officials about the issue, but were disappointed to hear that they likely don't have any legal grounds to have the house removed.

The non-profit group agreed at first to meet residents but backed out just before Wednesday evening's meeting.