SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KGTV) — Dapper B’s Barbership in Lemon Grove is Mike Hernandez’ family business. He’s had his shop on North Ave. just off Highway 94 for 26 years.
Hernandez showed 10News a growing homeless encampment directly behind the shop, which he says is becoming a growing problem for business.
“There’s been a lot of fights back there. I had to call the Sheriff’s because there was a guy with a gun flashing it around. I had to tell people in here, nobody leave,” said Hernandez.
Hernandez says he’s seen everything from violence to verbal confrontations – the homeless will harass his customers and leave debris in the parking lot.
“There’s feces on the floor. When it’s shut down, they roam here,” he said.
Hernandez says the homeless also use his water supply.
“I found a person washing themselves completely naked, just right there,” he said, pointing to a water spigot out front.
Hernandez says he’s reported several incidents to both the Sheriff’s Dept. and Caltrans, the agency responsible for protecting and maintaining California’s highways – since the encampment is technically on the other side of his fence, on state property.
Both the Sheriff’s department and the City of Lemon Grove say routine cleanup efforts happen in this specific area along the highway, although Sheriff’s admitted it’s a challenging spot due to some of the property belonging to the state. They say they work with Caltrans to clean the area.
The mayor of Lemon Grove also shared that after 2.5 years, their homeless outreach program came to an end after running out of funds. She says they are currently working with other east county cities to find a regional solution.
