SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A fed-up father of two young girls and a Downtown homeowner is taking matters into his own hands. It comes after vagrants were caught on camera multiple times sitting on his porch and even allegedly taking packages.
“If you live in the Downtown, Midtown, East Sac area, Land Park, Oak Park, all of these areas," Bryan Washington said. "We are all dealing with the same problem. Some people are scared to go out at night.”
Washington, who owns two fitness locations including the popular All-City Riders, says an altercation back in August took an unexpected turn with the police being called.
“We had on three or four different occasions caught him stealing on our porch. We had Ring video. We turned that video over to the police department," Washington said. "And then we also had a trespassing citation issued.”
So when the man showed up again, Washington said he pushed him off his property.
“In that point in time I called the cops because we caught this guy in the act of trespassing again,” he said.
But it was Washington who ended up in a jail cell facing multiple felony assault charges, and a costly legal battle that just came to an end days ago.
“All the charges have been dismissed," Washington said. "Which my family and I were very happy to hear. It’s a huge stress reliever for us.”
Now he wants to see real solutions to the homeless crisis.
"I own a business in Downtown," he said. "I live Downtown. I have children that go to school downtown. I refuse to give up on this community because we find ourselves in a hard space.”
Just this week, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new plan to offer services to people struggling with addiction and mental health issues. Under new so-called Care Courts.
All California counties would be required to set up a mental health branch in civil court and provide treatment. People in need would have to accept the treatment or risk criminal charges.
"This Care Courts tool will enable cities to employ its outreach workers in collaboration with non-profit providers, counties to use the tool as appropriate to help get people petition, and get people who need the help," Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said.
Washington says he hopes things will change for the better so that other homeowners don’t find themselves in similar situations. Meanwhile, he’s refusing to play the victim.
“I feel like I was treated the way the system is designed to treat people who look like me, but as far as being a victim no, because there are people who are having far more difficult times than I am,” Washington said.
