Landlord Pair Facing 14 Criminal Charges

Huntington Beach City Atty. Gail Hutton filed a 14-count complaint Monday against a Norwalk couple in the city’s first criminal action to charge landlords with failing to clean up squalid living conditions on Commodore Circle.

The complaint, filed in West Orange County Municipal Court, alleges that Enrique and Patricia Cervantes have violated the Uniform Housing Code by allowing, among other things, hazardous plumbing, deteriorated walls and flooring, inadequate sanitation and cockroaches at 7642 Commodore Circle. An April 2 arraignment date has been set. The Cervanteses were unavailable for comment late Monday.

Hutton said Monday that her office will file similar charges later this week against the owners of five other dilapidated buildings on the cul-de-sac.

A violation of the housing code is a misdemeanor, punishable by six months in jail, a $500 fine or both. Huntington Beach officials have been trying unsuccessfully for years to persuade Commodore Circle landlords to voluntarily clean up the 20 two-story apartment buildings, most of which are inhabited by poor Latino, Vietnamese and Laotian families.

The city’s latest go-around started in October when Huntington Beach officials gave Commodore Circle owners 60 days to eliminate more than 700 violations or face prosecution. While trying to work out a solution in the ensuing months, the city wound up rejecting the group’s plan for a joint cleanup effort, refusing to give the group $450,000 in federal funds which has been set aside for the street.

Half Made Necessary Repairs

Housing officials then gave the landlords a final date of March 10 to clean up the violations or face prosecution.

Only half of the street’s owners made the necessary repairs.

The city attorney said she also plans to file charges against Bobby and Janet Muse and Paul and Donna Amelotte, owners of 7652 Commodore Circle; Arthur, Robert and Gloria Cortez, owners of 7662 Commodore Circle; Edward and Patricia Vergara, owners of 7632, 7641 and 7651 Commodore Circle, and Martin Settles, owner of 7631 Commodore Circle.