EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. — A homeless person allegedly lived in a mine shaft for "several years," according to the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office.
A Facebook post from the sheriff's office says their Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) became aware of a person living inside the abandoned mine shaft near the El Dorado Trail in December 2020.
"The El Dorado Trail system is one of El Dorado County's great attributes and is recreationally enjoyed by many people within our community," explained the sheriff's office on Facebook.
According to the post, someone called the sheriff's office after reportedly seeing "several homeless subjects" coming out of the mine and smelling smoke. A second person called the sheriff's office after seeing people cutting brush and piling it in the mineshaft area. HOT also received a report of a person snapping a whip and "behaving in a strange manner" on the El Dorado Trail. The people who contacted HOT allegedly felt threatened and said they were concerned for the other people trying to enjoy the trail.
The sheriff's office says HOT responded to the area and found a homeless person who claimed to have been living in the mineshaft for several years. HOT says they visited the mineshaft on multiple occasions, offering services to help the homeless person, including room and board. The homeless person repeatedly refused the services and was ultimately advised of trespassing before he moved on, according to the sheriff's office.
HOT worked with El Dorado County Facilities to clean and seal off the entrance to the abandoned mineshaft. The agencies hope by sealing off the mineshaft, potential injuries related to the unpredictable areas will be prevented.
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