Homeless man lived in underground vault near historic Los Angeles museum

A homeless man in Los Angeles was found to be living inside an underground utility vault close to one of the city’s historic museums, authorities reported. 

A surveillance camera outside the Japanese American National Museum (JANM), located in the neighborhood of Little Tokyo in downtown LA, captured the man lifting a panel for a utility vault and then stuffing his backpack into it. Soon after, he opens another lid and climbs into the small subterranean space. 

“The security guards noticed the incident, called our director of security who came down,” museum CFO Doug Van Kirk told KTLA.

“We don’t know how long or how many times he may have accessed that vault. It’s certainly possible he had been there other times,” he added. 

Utility vaults are small underground rooms, usually located on sidewalks, that are used to hold switches and valves for several public utilities, including natural gas and telecommunication systems. Generally, the small rooms are locked and can only be accessed by public employees. 

According to an LA Department of Water and Power spokesperson, the vault outside JANM stores a water meter. However, the homeless man was able to gain access to the vault, turning it into his makeshift home. 

Officials claim that letting the man remain in the space could become a fire hazard, given that there are electrical and gas lines down there. 

JANM security officers called the police reporting the man in the vault. When LAPD officers arrived at the scene, the homeless man allegedly struck one of the responding officers.

Eventually, the man was arrested and charged with trespassing and battery. Among the man’s belongings, police found several drugs and a plastic firearm. 

“Our primary concern has to be that of the safety of our visitors, our staff, and volunteers so anything that might affect that is something that we take seriously,” Van Kirk added.

The vaults outside the museum were relocked on Friday. 

According to a report published last month, nearly one-half of the nation's homeless population in the United States lives in California. The study found that about 90% of respondents said that the main reason they could not escape homelessness was the high cost of housing.