Thrill-seekers used an abandoned $1 billion skyscraper in downtown Los Angeles covered in graffiti as a parachute launch pad, a wild video has revealed.
A man jumped from the unfinished roof of Oceanwide Plaza, a vacant complex that has recently become a canvas for graffiti taggers.
He jumped just a few feet from a 50-story building, then opened his parachute and sailed toward the busy street below.
The second person, who was seen kneeling on the roof of the building as his accomplice first jumped, followed and parachuted off the ledge.
The video was shared on social media last month, but gained attention this week, primarily from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
Frustrated, the politician demanded that the developer fully repay the amount the city had spent on extra police patrols on the property.
In response to the parachute incident, the Los Angeles Police Department plans to surround the property until the developer takes action to ensure its safety.
“It’s very dangerous for people to be in that building, so we have no choice but to do it,” Bass told reporters.
“I hate the fact that we’re using city and other police resources like that, but I don’t want to see a tragedy happen. I guarantee you a tragedy will happen there.”
The parachutists are just a few of the dozens of trespassers who have turned the grounds of Oceanwide Plaza into a playground.
A dizzying video shared last week shows a man braving a rainstorm at night along an abandoned 50-story ledge overlooking Crypto.com Arena, home of the Los Angeles Lakers, Clippers and Kings. The image of a daredevil man was shown.
Tagger covered at least 27 balconies in the three buildings, which had been envisioned as a $1 billion luxury apartment and commercial hub complex, but construction of the project ended in 2019 after the developer ran out of money. has been cancelled.
These skyscrapers sat unfinished for the past five years until graffiti taggers took an interest.
At least six people have been arrested for trespassing since last week.
The city council’s resolution allows Beijing-based developer Oceanwide Holdings to begin cleaning the site by Saturday.
If the deadline is not met, the city will handle the matter on its own and bill the developer.
