SF Mission Tenant Sprays Graffiti To Highlight Alleged Illegal After-Hours Club
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A man frustrated with what he calls ongoing illegal activity in the building he sublet in San Francisco's Mission District – and the lack of response from authorities - has used graffiti to make his point.
Taylor Peck was owner of The Fizzary, a candy and soda shop on the 2900 block of Mission St. that closed in May. He claims the people he sublet his space to following the closure host after-hours gambling, alcohol sales and prostitution in the building.
Now, he says he is being evicted because of the problems brought by his subtenants - but not before he decided to publicize his claims with graffiti on the building.
ALSO READ: Illegal Strip Clubs Once Again A Problem In San Jose
Peck said his frustration with the ongoing activity, which includes a shooting on October 17, led him to spray paint the words 'Dangerous," "Illegal Club," and "Hey SFPD" on the exterior of the building.
"Virtually seven days a week, parties that begin at 2:00 in the morning and wrap up at 6:00 a.m. or later," Peck said. "And it's amplified music, after-hour liquor sales, yelling screaming, shouting."
Peck said he has called police numerous times about the alleged illegal activity. Early Sunday, he said the sub-tenants blew fuses in the building and were using gas-powered generators inside, prompting a visit from the fire department.
"This has turned my life absolutely upside down," said Peck, who lives in one of the residential units behind the commercial space of the building.
"Police are frustrated and have said that they have thrown so many resources at trying to shut this down because they come out on every occasion when they're called," he said. "But the best they can do is give them a warning after they have gotten them out of the building, and then they leave."
Photos obtained by KPIX 5 show police taking people into custody outside the alleged club in the days after the Oct. 17th shooting, garbage cans full of empty beer bottles at the site and a row of what looks like video poker machines.
San Francisco's CrimeMAPS website shows dozens of police calls on the 2900 block of Mission St. since September, mostly noise complaints but also assault and prostitution reports. It is not clear how many of the reports emanated from 2949 Mission.
One of the sub-tenants denied to KPIX 5 that any illegal activity was happening inside the premises, and said only they host parties on occasion.
Peck said when he subleased the storefront to a young couple, they initially told him they wanted to open a vitamin shop.
"Betrayed is an understatement," said Peck.
Since the problems began, the building owner has moved to evict Taylor and the sub-tenants from the premises, including another sub-tenant in a second residential unit.
Taylor, in turn, has also served his sub-tenants – who he says stopped paying rent in October - with an eviction notice. But his own eviction case is up first on the docket, and despite it all, the nighttime activities show no signs of stopping.
Public records show Roberto T. Sanchez as the owner of the property.
"(The owner is) going after residential tenants that have nothing to do with it," said Peck.
The attorney for the property owner, Roberto T. Sanchez, did not immediately respond to questions about the situation.
"If someone gets killed in this building because of property owner apathy, he's going to have a lot more problems than attempting to pursue eviction of unaffiliated residents in the back of the building," said Peck.
San Francisco Police Department spokesman Officer Carlos Manfredi on Tuesday said the department is aware of the complaints and is documenting them. "We are working with allied agencies, including ABC and IRS, and the city attorney's office to address the complaints," said Manfredi.
The department has increased patrols in the area, Manfredi said.
Manfredi also said Peck has not made himself available to SFPD to assist in the investigation, and has not filed a police report.
