Federal Marshals Seize Mission Hills House in Cocaine Sales Case

A Mission Hills house that authorities said had become a haven for drug users and a hot spot for cocaine sales was seized Thursday by federal marshals, officials said.

The seizure of the one-story, blue stucco house at 10944 Columbus Ave. culminated a four-month investigation by several law enforcement agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department and the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, said City Atty. James K. Hahn.

Hahn said the house was owned and occupied by Charles W. Bell, who was arrested in December on suspicion of selling cocaine. Bell will have 14 days to seek a court order returning the house, he said. If Bell fails, the property, which Hahn said is worth about $130,000, will be sold at auction by the federal government.

Neighbors had been complaining about around-the-clock drug activity at the house for months, Hahn said. He said there were reports of heavy car and foot traffic by as many as 20 or 30 people an hour.

Bell and 18 other people were taken into custody Dec. 13 when Los Angeles police officers served a search warrant at the home, Hahn said. Police seized more than eight grams of cocaine, 17 amphetamine pills, nearly eight grams of marijuana, a .25-caliber pistol, ammunition, a hand-held stainless steel scale, two pagers and paperwork associated with drug sales, he said.

Bell was charged with possessing cocaine for sale and remains in custody, Hahn said. The others were charged with being under the influence of a controlled narcotic substance, he said.

In a statement to police, Bell said that he was guilty of selling cocaine, Hahn said.

“I smoke cocaine about three times a week,” the statement said. “I allow my friends to come over about three times a week and smoke cocaine also. I allow at times cocaine to be sold from my house, but I didn’t want the sales of cocaine to get out of hand. My friends would sell cocaine over the coffee table, then in turn would give me a chip of cocaine for allowing them to sell from my house.”

Some neighbors of the Bell house expressed relief following Thursday’s action. “It was really getting progressively worse,” said a resident of a trailer park across the street. “We used to sit on the porch and watch the people go in and out. Then folks started stealing car radios out of the lot over here. It was really bad.”

Hahn said the Columbus Avenue address was one of 135 hot spots throughout Los Angeles being targeted by law enforcement agencies and city departments.