California: Oakland City
Oakland City,California Attorney John Russo and City Council President Igancio De La Fuente said today that a family of drug dealers has agreed to sell a house that they say has terrorized a Fruitvale District neighborhood for 20 years.
In a statement, Russo and De La Fuente said Ruby Harris, whom they described as the matriarch of a drug-dealing family, agreed in a settlement filed in Alameda County Superior Court today to sell her home in the 3000 block of School Street and move out by Dec. 20.
In its lawsuit, the city attorney's office alleged that Harris "allowed her home to be a drug nuisance, permitting the unlawful use, sale, storage and manufacturing of controlled substances since at least 1987."
Russo and De La Fuente said Oakland city has tried for years to get Harris to control the behavior of her children and grandchildren through signed settlements, but Harris' family members have violated the agreements.
Russo and De La Fuente said that now the Harris Family, in order to stave off hundreds of thousands of dollars in public nuisance fines from the city, will have to move out and the residents will be able to take back control of their street.
In the statement, De La Fuente said, "I'm glad for the residents who've had to live in such fear that they would only meet with my staff in secret, miles from their home, out of fear for their safety. This is a great day for School Street."
Russo said, "This is a perfect example of what is possible when we get dedicated lawyers in the street to fight on behalf of our residents."
Paul Watts, a landlord on the same street as Harris' house, said, "For years the drug dealers have owned the street and harassed my tenants. All day and night they have stood on the sidewalks, selling drugs, blocking pedestrians, and terrorizing the neighborhood.''
Watts said, "I am relieved that the Harris Family is moving out. The community members will own the block again."
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