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Homeless woman 'not leaving' amid tent ban

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SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Most of the tents are gone on 16th Street and National Avenue. ABC 10News Anchor Aaron Dickens spoke to a woman who was the only one left on the block.

"They can arrest me; that is fine. They are going to have to release me. It’s just more paperwork for them," said Mercedes.

She said police gave her a ticket and towed her car on Monday morning. Mercedes said she's been living in the same spot for two years.

She also says many people living in tents either moved a few blocks over to 17th Street or relocated to a shelter.

Meanwhile some local business owners on National Avenue were happy with the changes.

"No homeless anymore. It’s good. Everything is clean now," said a man who owns a cooking school nearby.

The street is next to a train station. According to the new law, people cannot set up tents there.

The mayor says there is space in the shelters, but Mercedes says she has had a difficult time finding one.

"I want somewhere to lay my head, to be able to have my kids with me," she said.