LA Family Devastated by Fire Blames Local Leadership for Tragedy

A family in Los Angeles is grappling with the loss of their beloved home, which was destroyed in a fire allegedly caused by squatters engaged in illegal activities next door. The incident has prompted the family to voice their frustration with local authorities, whom they hold accountable for not preventing the tragedy.

The fire, which occurred on March 8, consumed the Larchmont residence of Juan Galicia, 55, and Marta Umana, 65. Tragically, the blaze also claimed the lives of three of their dogs. The Los Angeles Fire Department’s arson unit is currently investigating the cause of the fire.

According to the couple, they had repeatedly alerted the Los Angeles Police Department about the dangerous activities of the squatters living next door. “We would always call 911 to report that the place was occupied by squatters and peeping toms. They were cooking meth on the property,” explained Sonia Salinas, Umana’s 53-year-old niece, in an interview with The California Post. She noted that the squatters were also accused of illegally tapping into water and power sources.

Salinas expressed deep disappointment with Mayor Karen Bass, accusing her of neglecting the family’s plight as well as the similar situations faced by many others across Los Angeles. “Karen Bass failed us. She failed our family. She failed thousands of families in the same situation because this happens every day in LA,” Salinas stated. “We’ve witnessed numerous homes, businesses, and vehicles being destroyed by homeless individuals. It’s a dire situation.”

Salinas also recalled a visit by Mayor Bass to a church where her uncle serves as a pastor. During that visit, the mayor sought community support for efforts to clean up local streets. However, Salinas emphasized that the responsibility for addressing such issues should rest with elected officials, not the community. “It was not our responsibility — it was her responsibility,” she asserted.

Salinas recalled that Bass visited the church where her uncle works as a pastor several months ago to ask the community for help in cleaning up local streets. But “it was not our responsibility — it was her responsibility,” she said.

“It’s her duty to keep the city clean. Our church helped clean the city for her. And yet she doesn’t even give us a call back and respond to this matter. It’s really sad,” Salinas added.

The couple lost their three dogs: 8-year-old poodle mix Charlie, 3-year-old Chihuahua-mix Firulais, and 10-year-old Husky Chase, who died later at the hospital. They were able to save their other three dogs, all Huskies, from the fire.

Umana said the couple tragically “lost everything.”

“I don’t have anything any more,” she said.

She said her husband, a pastor and a construction worker, saw “30 years of sacrifice and work” go up in smoke in a matter of moments.

“He’s destroyed,” she said of Galicia. “He’s super sad and devastated. He’s in shock.”

In a statement, Bass’s office said she has been successful in fighting homelessness across the city.

“We feel for this family, but it’s Mayor Bass who finally brought homelessness down in LA after years and years of increases before she took office,” it read. “We have a long way to go, and Mayor Bass will keep fighting against the special interests and politicians who want to hit the ‘pause’ button on reducing street homelessness.”

The family tried to warn the city about the squatters, who allegedly lit the fire that spread to their home.

“The [LAPD] said the squatters don’t have a criminal record so they couldn’t arrest them,” Umana said.

The group of up to eight squatters, both men and women in their 30s and 40s, started living in the empty home next to the family a year and a half ago.

Salinas said they complained to the police “hundreds of times,” and they showed up “maybe” once.

“They said the squatters weren’t committing any crimes so they couldn’t arrest them and that they were just looking for a place to stay. And they would leave them alone,” she said.

“According to the cops, the squatters were doing drugs inside the property so they couldn’t be arrested.”

Umana complained that it felt like their efforts were hollow and that “the homeless have more rights than we do.”

The LAPD did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.

The family has launched a GoFundMe to try to recoup some of their losses from the fire.

“While pastor Juan was preaching a sermon of hope on Sunday a devastating fire burned his house completely and 3 of the family dogs died,” the fundraiser read.

Salinas said that since the fire, the homeless have shown up to the charred house to scavenge through the debris.

“Juan keeps chasing them away,” she said.

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