BASE jumpers plunge from vandalized downtown L.A. skyscraper

The abandoned skyscraper covered in graffiti in downtown Los Angeles is still causing nearby residents and law enforcement officials major headaches. Illicit activity surrounding Oceanwide Plaza has increased significantly since it was vandalized late last month, with more vandals, partiers and even BASE jumpers heading to the site of what some taggers called “L.A. graffiti history.”
The latest video to go viral surrounding the derelict luxury complex that sits on 12th and Flower streets depicts individuals BASE jumping from the top of the building; other videos show vandals inching along the exterior edge of the building hundreds of feet in the air with no safety equipment.
KTLA's Mary Beth McDade reports on Feb. 13, 2024.
Details: ktla.com/news/...
KTLA 5 News - Keeping Southern Californians informed since 1947.

[@etc6272]

The city of Los Angeles should convert the building into a library building to keep uneducated people away from that area. The crime will go down fast!

[@nathanlong8295]

Like some cities do.

[@terry_willis]

@@Max0r847 😄😄 Haha. You're right. Like Chris Rock says books to "those people" is like krytonite to Superman.

[@nathanielriesterer9103]

​@@terry_willis😅 yup. Chris Rock said that's where you hide the money.

[@nickpatrick1636]

No

[@AmusedChild]

Unfortunately, crime happens in libraries too - drug use, vandalism, even gang activity, assault and human trafficking. I am a former librarian and I quit for the same reasons teachers are quitting.

[@10forthebigguy753]

Graffitied high-rise, the new symbol of California

[@pharoahzeus]

Dredd movie in real life 😂 🤷😫

[@jkohutiak]

BASED AF

[@williampankratz600]

Great dystopia Gavin !!!!!!!

[@jaydel3]

a building = entire state? Doesn’t even make sense.

[@killed_by_the_architect-829]

@@williampankratz600 Now now, Newsom will tell you California has less dystopia per capita than other states in the country, he will of course be full of $h!* but he'll say it anyway.

[@dannydanix8698]

I think it's about time we name it "The Graffiti Towers".

[@The_Quaalude]

They honestly just need to keep the graffiti and own it

[@theworldisnotcool9685]

L.A.'s Best western

[@undefined69695]

China tower

[@dannydanix8698]

LOL !!@@The_Quaalude

[@romalohk3405]

Imagine we had an app where "the tax payers" getting hit with the bill could vote and know everything that's going on with our money!!

[@MrPhotodoc]

You could be a millionaire.

[@Peace-ok7xo]

You have a point

[@77Avadon77]

Pluralism is the answer. I'll risk tyranny of the majority over tyranny of the minority any day. I want to read the bills and vote myself. I don't trust "representatives" anymore.

[@NoGood999]

Imagine you think that all of this corruption can be stopped by voting😂😂if voting did anything they wouldn't let you do it. I don't know why people don't realize this I would think somebody like you would because if you know your taxpayer money is being wasted away. I don't even know why you still work😂. Why are we even working and paying taxes stop working? Because that's the only way that people are able to take money from us 😂and stop voting. Because either way, voting or not the people who want To be in power will be in power 😂 If you know the level of corruption is so bad that there is. Is multi-million dollars every day spent on ridiculous things. Yet you think that this all could be solved by a little checkmarkin a box? So you can vote what you want. Then I have something and tell you you're wrong. Voting will never do anything and it never has. Voting is literally just an llusion. To make you think that the people you want might have a chance. Why would they give you a chance? 😂 That's the stupidest thing anybody could ever think A government that does not have your best self interests would do

[@thundark3736]

Voters should have initiative to go out of their way on their own time to get educated on issues. Having an app that dumbs down politics enough where anyone can vote/give opinion at the touch of a button is a fundamentally dangerous idea to democracy

[@redelf1968]

It's a free for all in CA with most crimes not having any punishment or consequences.

[@pharoahzeus]

Facts 😌 the real Mafia and cartel land of the free 😂

[@mr_unsane]

Agree, but they should really focus on the real crimes

[@MichaelB413]

Are you from there?

[@jaydel3]

clearly someone not from CA who is just some conservative parroting misinformation.

[@619AGT]

@@mr_unsaneAnd what do you consider “real” crimes?

[@user-rt7vl9ky3r]

So instead they'll focus on these guys instead of the crime.... And suddenly walls miraculously work.

[@thunderousapplause]

8 units around the clock? Ya gotta laugh at that, man. Like, forget it. Let developers deal w it. Charge the owners for all bills.

[@awdobsession717]

Who? The Chinese? Good luck with that

[@peekaboopeekaboo1165]

Why ? American trespassers and vandals are the guilty ones ! These are the ones violated the law !

[@ariyaa2961]

“Nefarious acts” oh please. Doesn’t the LAPD have anything better to do? The city has let that building sit there unfinished for years and NOW they want to do something? Stop wasting our tax dollars on crap like this.

[@lleon-cv4ex]

I've seen them. They just sit in their cars and watch the property. It's ridiculous.

[@BladeJones]

Smash and grab robberies all over the place and homeless setting Sunset Sound on fire. Yeah. LAPD and the useless politicians are going after this Graffiti Tower thing as window dressing.

[@AIexanderthefake]

Look mom! He's playing both sides!

[@The_Quaalude]

They don't want to work 🤣

[@thethirdsealpatriot]

The extreme ignorance in the above posts perfectly illustrates why Los Angeles has become a fallen city.

[@janetprice85]

So they are not worried about the state of rot in downtown but the fact base jumpers are using it?

[@Palo_Duro]

Visited LA a few months ago for the first time in years. Have never seen so much graffiti in my life.

[@seaglasscollector]

😂😂😂

[@randomist24]

Tehe

[@sctsh1491]

FREE SIMBA!!!

[@Hamster_Watching]

Does the building not pay yearly Taxes? Add all the fees and fines to the building yearly taxes, if they do not pay it… Foreclose and Auction the building.

[@richardburton-777]

Well.. The company is bankrupt & now being dissolved. That's communism at its finest China & California showing the world how it's Done! Someday some will come up with a better idea like maybe FREE Market Capitalism where the greedy crony corrupt lose their stuff & honest hard working entrepreneurs come in & risk their hard earnings on taking it over & fixing it up turning it into a place of good employment/ housing & nice business It might be to late for that, but I hope not

[@timg2973]

the issue is liability. since the builders ran out of money who's to say if they did not cut corners on construction. say the city or someone buys it and in 5 years it collapses. who is responsible?

[@Blueskys1972]

I wish they were that worried about the border.

[@NaProbablyNot]

How about the force legal action against the developer! It’s been empty for years.

[@chiarosuburekeni9325]

How though? They’re chilling in China. There’s no way LA can touch them

[@supremewhip]

lol what do you think happens when tariffs are put in place?

[@peekaboopeekaboo1165]

​@@supremewhip It's a private company that went bankrupt !

[@supremewhip]

@@peekaboopeekaboo1165 I don’t think you know how economics and politics work 😂

[@peekaboopeekaboo1165]

No violation was committed by the company that went bankrupt . They already paid the workers along with the construction permit fees .

[@koostory1776]

Woah, is #KTLA saying walls and fences work from people entering?!

[@paladro]

but they don't

[@justintime4408]

they clearly don't work though lmao

[@WilliamHendershott]

😂🤣😂🤣😆

[@marciemac7641]

By all means keep letting the Chinese investors buy more properties 🤬🤬🤬

[@TBM1880]

They make it sound like BASE jumping is so evil. Those guys know the risk, let em be free

[@jayceecee8651]

Death by Misadventure could be the next reality show. To be fair, I think they consider it "evil" because they want to discourage not encourage the behavior. Kids watching tik tok might want to try it. It's all fun and games until a fatality happens and those on the ground witness to it, are forever traumatized by it.

[@ryan49805]

There is a small chance that they could hit and kill some one on the ground, given the amount of people walking around on the ground. It is different than jumping from a cliff or a bridge during the daytime. But I do agree that the California justice system has much bigger things to pursue.

[@TBM1880]

@@ryan49805 that’s true. I would turn a blind eye personally if they weren’t endangering anybody at the moment but the law doesn’t work that way

[@TBM1880]

@@jayceecee8651 maybe they could close off the bottom area, you know put a buffer zone so if someone does fall they only endanger themselves. The building isn’t being used for anything else

[@TBM1880]

@@jayceecee8651 you right tho, I guess they are looking out for people being influenced

[@Jay03mal]

3.8 million to guard and secure an abandoned building is everything wrong with california. That money could go to something more useful than wasting it at a building that people can still break through and get away with. Smh

[@mareerogers1114]

America has become the dystopian movies we used to pay to see. Tom Cruise couldn't dream up these stunts. foreign investors could care less. NO ONE RESPECTS MY COUNTRY. graffiti, trash, the list is endless. TAKE ME BACK 20 YEARS AGO.

[@kathleenking47]

At least, to the 90s

[@retr0sfunkadelix]

Shouldn’t the LAPD be focusing on real crimes like that guy or guys who killed 4 people in one night ? Christ

[@thunderousapplause]

Arrested.

[@awdobsession717]

$1,000,000 plus worth of vandalism isn’t a real crime? Jesus the standards in LA have really hit rock bottom.

[@UberDriverChat]

they did their job and caught those guys, how funny people always looking for a way to discredit police and then call them as soon as they need them....

[@retr0sfunkadelix]

@@thunderousapplause just seen that. I do stand corrected 👌🏽

[@retr0sfunkadelix]

@@UberDriverChat hop off the bandwagon, little bro. I did several years in the armed forces and did my fair share of things overseas. Needless to say I haven’t had to call the police for anything because I can actually defend myself. Can you say the same thing? No? Didn’t think so go back to driving your little car and let the grown ups talk.

[@Chuck-mm2yp]

Raise taxes to make poor people more poor. Then the tax goes to the rich developer to finish the building

[@Sarahrosevmcg]

Make them apartments for the homeless

[@UberDriverChat]

LOL yeah right ... imagine what they will end up looking like after a month ....

[@Nighthunt01]

@@UberDriverChat better than a uncompleted abandoned construction site will end up looking like after a month .... ?

[@etc6272]

Not going to happen. Those "non-profit" organizations that supposed to help the homeless will be out of business.

[@TheTibetyak]

I'm betting the reason it's getting the police attention might be the fact that it is located next to the sports arena. People wouldn't be thrilled with navigating through the homeless on their way to an entertainment venue.

[@Sarahrosevmcg]

@@TheTibetyak why are we as a society more uncomfortable seeing the homeless than actually knowing that there are homeless people. We need to do better as “people”.

[@lynettevinich861]

Seems like Chinese investors are doing this in other city's too. Buying properties just to let them become abandoned, then going in and demolishing them to rebuild ??

[@peekaboopeekaboo1165]

Fake news and disinformation. No one's buying or renting those buildings .... that's why it's abandoned .

[@robertcottrill1220]

Say why don't they turn it into a shelter for homeless people..

[@shellysmith1037]

LA is now thrird world

[@dizzymindy6024]

Yup. Sad, isn’t it.

[@vermontvermont9292]

​@@dizzymindy6024 I don't understand how people can live there. Is it really just the weather?

[@dickensanthony]

​@vermontvermont9292 Cool beaches, legal Marijuana, best place to become an "influencer" and less conservatives than usual. It's still not worth living there.

[@olivrrrr]

ANOTHER ABANDONED TOFU PROJECT FROM THE CHINESE!

[@peekaboopeekaboo1165]

Funny stupidity ! That building was abandoned because the company went bankrupt !

[@ProjectHyena]

Chinese money wash. Yep it's happening everywhere.

[@joejones9520]

@@peekaboopeekaboo1165 one in the same

[@peekaboopeekaboo1165]

@@joejones9520 Funny fake news and disinformation. Ocean Wide Plaza building is structurally safe .

[@peekaboopeekaboo1165]

@@ProjectHyena Brought upon by U$-led undeclared Trade War on China ...ever since tRump got in to power .

[@Joaquin-227]

Obviously, there is no security preventing access to the building

[@dr.medieval1131]

Ah, Los Angeles 2024. A window into America of 2030.

[@Higgs666]

Damn. LA is so bad that even the news girls are run down.

[@seanmurphy3753]

No you don’t

[@Eldritchinator]

LA really is just GTA V online at this point

[@EmmaDee]

Why are they abandoned when such a homeless population??

[@vincentflores8332]

Yeah well thank the news and the media for that attention only reason why so many people know about it now is because of them

[@lleon-cv4ex]

Yep. I live not far and people take photos. It's like a sightseeing thing now.

[@UberDriverChat]

That's the truth

[@Nighthunt01]

honestly it really feels as though the news coverage of these buildings let all the people that love doing this type of thing to know about it, personally I didn't know about these buildings and i actually have been around there many times...never knew until the news reports...now apparently more people are started to go do some vandalizing, parties and now base jumping

[@seaglasscollector]

😢😢🎉😂😂😂

[@twistedhillbilly6157]

And some people still think Gavin is doing a great job..

[@peacebeyondpassion2]

Why does taxpayers always have to foot the bill?

[@Tranquility32]

She has the gall to talk about “tax payers …getting hit with the bill”. I can think of other bigger dollar issues with CA spending than this. Granted, I think it’s a risky though thrill-seeking pasttime and should be curtailed for the safety of everyone.

[@LanaUSA212]

i am terrified of heights . It makes me dizzy just to watch them jump from those sky scrapers

[@stephencampbell9202]

Fix it for the homeless let the city buy it

[@UberDriverChat]

yeah right, imagine what they will look like in a month after the homeless take over🤣

[@Nighthunt01]

@@UberDriverChat better than a uncompleted abandoned construction site will look like in a month. "the homeless take over" you could at least think first....you seem to just conclude to be let in any random homeless person and let them do whatever they want and continue to let them stay there.....maybe there could be some social workers working there....and other jobs...sure there will be problems but at least a place to try and help doesn't sound like a bad thing....no one has been or is planning to use the space anyway

[@legendofman12]

You people won’t stop until everyones poor

[@-in-the-meantime...]

Base jumping is nefarious? 🤔

[@bobbybands1957]

Theft no problem. Base jumping you're in big trouble, lol!

[@robertbeagan2937]

Just like our border they just cant stop them getting through

[@ryanjohnson3615]

Place is getting cooler every day!

[@TradieTrev]

That's what happens when you let Chinese developers play in your city!

[@honeyrococo]

It would be so futuristic seeing all this in the 90s - people soaring like flying squirrels from the tops of graffitied ghost towers, set against a backlighting mega city…. Stadiums named after alternative currencies… and an on-the-scene reporter with so much dark eye makeup that in the thumbnail she looks like a classic grey alien 👽

[@themightyquinn100]

Homelessness and theft is running rampant in LA, but they are concerned about this?

[@pamelawing5747]

That building has been sitting there since 2019 , I guess there is no buyer and there would have to be plans and permits for something else before they will take it down, I'm quite certain. The thing they need to be sure of, is the financial solvency of the developers of anything else being built there. It needs to come down beforte it really gets dangerous.

[@raeorion]

LA is COOL AGAIN? This is awesome. I do hope no one gets hurt, but if we're all going to live in the apocalypse, can't it at least be anarchy, too?? 🏴🏴🏴

[@kathleenmann7311]

“Stupid is as stupid does.”

[@elfox2612]

3.8 mill for fences wtf.

[@UberDriverChat]

$16 for a Big Mac Combo .... $4 just for a side of Mac D's hashbrown .... pretty soon a BJ on Fig is going to be $100

[@Jedi4TW]

@@UberDriverChatman thatll be a bad day if it ever comes

[@supremewhip]

Did you even watch the video? $3.8m includes fire safety, security, and clean up.

[@jasoncoomer1226]

Dystopian Hellscape continues...

[@ehikupeters1599]

3.8 million for security on one building but cant spare any for the homeless across the usa

[@superpixelated7354]

I'm not going to pay my tax for that

[@thunderousapplause]

where do we write in to say what we wont pay for? Ive never known the email addy. 😂😂😂

[@UberDriverChat]

ummmm, like you have a choice🤣

[@conquerunderstanding7517]

So police in LA have time to protect abandoned Chinese buildings? Guess theirs no more crime in LA.

[@Hamster_Watching]

Places Fines on the Properties with a deadline if the fines are not paid, foreclose on the properties and Auction them.

[@timg2973]

the issue is liability. since the builders ran out of money who's to say if they did not cut corners on construction. say the city or someone buys it and in 5 years it collapses. who is responsible?

[@spunn_co]

Bankrupt Chinese developers that's weird

[@peekaboopeekaboo1165]

Courtesy of U$-led undeclared Trade War on China ...that caused economic downturn. To which many companies went bankrupt .

[@joshflanders9535]

Nothing in Dtla is sacred even you if you are walking around. Be careful out there yall

[@paulorosario105]

What ! What mess! Of Gov.

[@emachine310]

At least KTLA is recognizing those tower for what they are Abandoned

[@martinwhalley3286]

Parkour takes over failed construction project.

[@surviveunplugged]

At least someone is making use of useless buildings. I'm not one for graffiti, but Los Angeles residents seem to like it. There are several graffiti murals in that part of downtown. They don't incarcerate actual violent criminals, so are we supposed to incarcerate graffiti taggers?

[@vernanarzekalski3484]

Is that a Russian flag 🇷🇺 parachute? Are these locals of tourists KZbinrs, TikTok users???

[@Emily_Paris]

What are these dudes smoking? Crazy to say the least!

[@THE.MICHAEL.ANGELO]

It's California. You can vandalize, commit crimes and more, and not get "deserved," punishment because as a criminal, they praise you.

[@xXxH_E_R_OxXx]

High Rise Graffiti parachuters. Thats a new one.

[@howardb.6205]

I know a guy who's brother said that he has a friend that knows a guy that tagged that place! We are cool! Everyone is so jealous of us

[@blexyyt1887]

Watch banksy do it’s thing & everyone gonna wanna buy the buildings.🤦‍♂️

[@fladave99]

LA COPS - Keeping the streets safe From their cars sucking a donut

[@neilkennedy5781]

Unfortunately we have a society that spends money to protect business not humans , wonder how many homeless, mentally I’ll or veterans could use some of that money

[@thethirdsealpatriot]

Here is a thought, stop granting building permits to foreign investors whom we have no sovereignty over.

[@wendyzaruba4504]

With so many homeless people in LA why don't they turn the place into low cost apartments?

[@Larry2]

If it's abandoned, why hasn't it been set for demolition?

[@getrightconstruction1342]

The demo crews are also abandon

[@arribaalianza1]

These skyscrapers must be used to shelter the new migrants from Venezuela.

[@davidandrews8824]

Nope, they need to be deported.

[@terryhall4219]

There's nobody living in it, that don't get the right to jump the off the top.

[@silvermica]

Oh, wow, I should drive down to LA to check out the abandoned high rise.

[@paranormalactivity-gd8hb]

Gotham City

[@ems901]

How do you just spend millions maybe billions of dollars just to go bankrupt? What a waste of money and poor planning:

[@sick13insaner]

Why are they not taxing or fining the Chinese company that built those stupid buildings? Why are we tax payers paying for its security???

[@StrayDogTheExposer]

Sounds like a squatter's dream.

[@ry3788]

This is going to perpetuate' because of social media outlets and blatant disrespect of the laws.

[@SYSTEMSBREACH]

Do I live in the wrong universe 😅 like morty from back to the future when someone messed something up in time and everything went astray. This is wild .. this cannot be the world we live in

[@GhostmanNtech]

Little by little it looks like the movie escape los Angeles 😢

[@SkyDrifters1]

OMG not BASE jumpers? The horror!!!

[@GettingthruLife]

These building are the poster child advertisement of the condition and landscape of America now. Build back better not going so well now is it?

[@joshuabuck6610]

How is it nefarious if the only person the hurt is themselves if something goes wrong lmbo. Man these news channels are desperate for views.

[@Jack-bo2hx]

I'll never understand idiots who risk their lives for a thrill....lol

[@sirflingspoo]

Idiocracy is playing out in front of us 😂

[@tdruganis]

Hold on.... Why are Chinese (or any non-US) developers allowed to build massive towers in downtown LA?

[@honeyrococo]

Why do the police think it’s okay when Batman does this? Double standard !

[@MrPhotodoc]

The Terrible Tower Turmoils.

[@thacaliforniakid8208]

This base jumping video is old

[@UberDriverChat]

how do you know, show us

[@thacaliforniakid8208]

Looks like the windows aren’t painted yet

[@jeffreylucier5266]

Physically booked and trespassed? For shame! All those nefarious bass jumpers!!! Dad gumb hooliganism

[@peekaboopeekaboo1165]

Trespassing and Vandalized are crimes too .

[@CamposMann]

Some People turned this life into a GTA game

[@TheDillberto]

that zipper in the middle of her shirt makes me sick

[@shelbynamels973]

Eight units, hu?? Even today the LAPD keeps around the clock watch on this site, while a few blocks south of there, Johnny Wactor, the actor, is shot and killed while a gang of thieves was stealing the CAT off his vehicle. Let that sink in for a minute.

[@willyautomotive1465]

WHATS NEXT ???

[@dreadfuldonkey]

Just the like the Chinese, shawty work

[@NighCraw00]

Looking like Dyling Light

[@yoswifty303]

You can easily say the tax payers will pay, but the tax payers are tired of paying. This will end soon. Unfortunately they have to do their job, what the tax payers pay them to do.

[@paulcaballero15]

Anyone else was thinking about the movie Tron

[@robertdirocco1885]

Mary Beth looks like she just doesn’t wanna be there.

[@marcolopez5672]

Notice how she said taxe payers they're getting the bill, not "taxes payers we're getting the bill" mean the rich get richer while everyone else pays for a rich mans mastake of a build 😬🤣

[@kewlztertc5386]

Stop wasting money, leave it be. If they tagging it's too late for the paint job, what's a little more. People what to jump do the absolute minimum to stop them. If they get hurt, how great a loss to society could their absences account for?