Video shows the forceful arrest of a 61-year-old woman who was protesting a controversial demolition of a Sweetwater mobile home park.
The demolition at Li’l Abner Mobile Home Park, which includes 900 mobile homes, began Wednesday. There are plans to close the park and develop a new community with affordable and workforce housing and a school.
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Tenants have until May 2025 to find a new home, but they said the demolition while they're still trying figure out where to go only causes further stress and concern.
Residents expressed their frustrations Wednesday night by protesting outside the mobile home park and Sweetwater Police, including Yaima Suarez.
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“My mom had heart surgery, she's asthmatic, and the smoke and dust are bad for your health,” Suarez said. “It’s really sad.”
Emotions were also high earlier in the day. Police arrested Vivian Hernandez after she refused to leave the main office. Officers described her as “unruly” in the arrest report.
“It's a step backwards in a case of trying to bring order to this,” said David Winker, an attorney representing Hernandez and hundreds of tenants. “All of this is disturbing, you can see how high emotions are with people.”
Winker said he doesn't believe the owner is doing things the right way.
“I think we're going to find, in my opinion, a law has not been followed,” Winker said.
The park will close permanently May 19, 2025. The park's owner said they will help tenants relocate and provide financial assistance, including up to $14,000 for anyone who leaves by Jan. 31.
The payment decreases the later the tenants vacate – $7,000 will be offered to tenants who leave by March 31, and $3,000 for an April 30 deadline.
Matt Rosenbaum with The Urban Group, the management agent for the mobile home park, said in a statement:
Safety is our top priority as we begin the demolition of abandoned units in the mobile home park. We are managing the entire removal process, focusing on preventing vandalism, squatters and crime. There is absolutely no cost to tenants for the demolition. Before demolition, we are conducting thorough inspections to ensure each unit is completely empty, verifying no people, pets, or personal belongings of value remain.
So far, nearly 600 tenants have visited the park office to meet with the relocation team and discuss the assistance that is available to them. We anticipate that by the end of this week, approximately 50 tenants will have accepted the relocation incentive package and vacated their mobile homes since we began the process three weeks ago.
When combining our incentive with the amount required by the state, tenants who relocate before January 31st may receive up to $16,750 for abandoning a mobile home or up to $20,000 for relocating it, depending on its size. We have also been collaborating closely with the city to explore additional support options. Tenants are encouraged to contact city officials directly to help identify and access supplementary benefits and assistance programs.
We remain committed to supporting our tenants through this transition.
Sweetwater Mayor Jose “Pepe” Diaz said in a statement:
We are aware of the arrest circulating on social media involving one of our Sweetwater Police Officers. The preliminary information reveals that the officer was summoned to the administrative office in reference to a disturbance. An altercation ensued causing the officer to take police action, which resulted in an arrest. This is an unfortunate situation for all, however, as part of our Use of Force policy, my command staff will conduct a thorough review of the incident to ensure all legal guidelines were met.
Rosenbaum also addressed the tenant interaction:
We understand that this is a difficult and emotional time. While our team is committed to hearing and supporting our tenants, the safety of both our staff and tenants remains our highest priority.
During a recent tenant interaction in the park office, the situation escalated quickly and became unmanageable. Despite our team's efforts to de-escalate, it became necessary for law enforcement to step in.
We continue to encourage open and respectful communication, and we remain dedicated to supporting our tenants through this difficult transition. We are committed to maintaining the safety of our community.
