California
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs filmed music video inside California mansion now taken over by squatters; abandoned by Phillies owner’s son
Sean “Diddy” Combs filmed a music video inside the now-abandoned Hollywood Hills mansion taken over by squatters and taggers who have since spray-painted “Diddy was here” on the roof after learning about the production.
Combs used several parts of the luxurious home including the great room, the spiral staircase and outside near the pool as the background for his 2007 song “Last Night” featuring Keyshia Cole.
Mary J. Blige has resided inside the mansion in years past, as have several “high-level business folks,” one neighbor named Jack told KABC.
“I think some influencers have lived here over the years. It’s a really cool house. It’s big,” the neighbor added.
“The longer it sits like this, more people are going to come and keep doing what they’re doing,” Jack said. “The neighborhood, this house specifically, could use a security guard. Two guards … not that expensive. Let’s keep the neighborhood safe.”
Combs is being held at the Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center after he was arrested by federal agents on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution.
The rapper was placed on suicide watch inside the jail as a “preventative measure.”
The neglected mansion at 7571 Mulholland Drive in the posh Hollywood Hills has been owned by John Powers Middleton since 2012.
Middleton, the only son of businessman and Philadelphia Phillies owner John S. Middleton, was issued an abatement order by the city of Los Angeles two years after purchasing the property.
Middleton owns a second Los Angeles property that has also become overrun by squatters and taggers, according to KABC.
Squatters and taggers have been entering the property for over two years.
The unwanted guests have become headaches and safety hazards for the neighbors, who call the home an eyesore with the exterior walls blasted with graffiti art and “tags.”
Residents living near the Hollywood Hills home have fumed that they’re no longer safe living near the property.
One homeowner was attacked by a vagrant with a “steel rebar and beer bottle,” WPVI reported.
Others claim the taggers are beginning to spread their work to other properties.
The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety declared the property a nuisance and issued an abatement order forcing the owner to build a fence and secure the property in Oct. 2022, NBCLA reported.
Middleton failed to comply with the order, leading the city to erect a fence instead.
A lien has been issued on the home and Middleton has defaulted on property taxes for several years.
The squatters and taggers still accessed the six-bedroom, 9,707-square-foot home. According to the listing, Middleton’s mansion has a pool and is estimated to be worth $6.53 million.
Most of the windows have been shattered and the exterior walls and the roof of the house have been covered with graffiti.
Private security has been placed at the home 24/7 in hopes of keeping the squatters and taggers away.
The Los Angeles Police Department was called to the property six times in September and removed 10 people on Wednesday, arresting one on a warrant, KABC reported.
A 17-year-old suspect has been arrested in Texas in connection with the deadly shooting after a high school graduation ceremony in Fairfield, California last month, police said.
Fairfield police said U.S. Marshals, accompanied by department detectives, served search and arrest warrants Friday morning at a home in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area.
The teen was taken into custody without incident on suspicion of murder and related offenses.
Investigators said the suspect fled California and traveled to Texas within days of the June 3 shooting. He will remain in custody while awaiting extradition to Solano County.
The shooting happened after Sem Yeto Continuation High School’s graduation ceremony, which was held on the Fairfield High School campus.
Police said 18-year-old graduate Jamario Baker died at the scene. Three others – an 11-year-old child and two adults, ages 20 and 25 – were wounded.
Authorities have not released the suspect’s name because he is a minor.
Although an arrest has been made, police said the investigation remains active and detectives continue to pursue additional leads.
“While today’s announcement may provide a measure of relief to some, it does not lessen the pain felt by our community,” the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District said in a statement.
Police plan to hold a news conference Monday at 4 p.m. to discuss the case and arrest.
Fairfield is a Northern California city about 40 miles northwest of San Francisco.
A California bill would let insurers monitor customers’ driving data in exchange for discounted premiums.
Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, the author of AB 311, said the digital monitoring, known as telematics, rewards good driving and would improve safety. In real time, telematics technology would track data such as speed, location and how a vehicle is being driven.
“We have to slow people down,” McKinnor said. “That is the whole purpose for this bill, is driver safety.”
A voter-approved law from 1988, Prop 103, required insurance rates to be based mainly on driving record, miles driven and experience. It made California the only state in the country to prohibit telematics.
McKinnor believes the law is outdated. She argued that her bill would also help good drivers who pay higher rates because of where they live.
“Where I live definitely brings my insurance up,” McKinnor said. “If we both drive the same way, we’ll get charged the same way, instead of by our ZIP code.”
California’s Department of Insurance and consumer groups oppose the bill, citing privacy concerns.
“We can’t look behind the algorithm and see what weight it’s giving to different criteria, which is a big problem,” said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog. “Auto insurance, otherwise, is transparent. This is why the Department of Insurance is opposed, because of the lack of transparency in the algorithm.”
The proposed savings in exchange for good driving might not be guaranteed. Telematics data from the Maryland Insurance Administration showed that 31% of drivers who opted into the program saw a drop in rates, 24% saw an increase and 45% saw no change to their premiums.
“This collects an awful lot of data about people, more than they know, and it’s like having Big Brother in your back seat,” Court said.
McKinnor insisted that drivers will not be forced to enroll in the program.
“It’s still opt-in in the other 49 states,” she said. “We’re not going to make this mandatory. It’ll be a per-volunteer situation.”
McKinnor’s bill passed through the legislature’s insurance committee. It’s expected to be presented to the full Senate in August.
Huntington Beach police are vowing to prevent a potential “takeover” event being promoted across social media that they believe could get out of control.
Police said they became aware of the event from a flyer online advertising an “end of summer beach bash” in the city.
“Dear ‘Beach Bash’ organizers…” police said in an Instagram post Thursday. “Thanks for the flyer. We’ve seen it too.”
They continued, “We have no intention of allowing that to happen here.”
No further details were provided about when the event was planned to take place or the exact location.
Police and the city of Huntington Beach said they’re working to prevent the event following similar events in Southern California that resulted in violence, vandalism and other criminal activity.
One chaotic event that was held in Newport Beach on the Fourth of July ended with more than 400 people being arrested, according to police. Some partygoers were seen fist fighting, while others allegedly vandalized property and local businesses, including a Pavilions grocery store.
Newport Beach police said social media posts drew a large influx of people to Newport Pier in a short amount of time, and the event got out of control.
Huntington Beach PD warned that anyone who organizes, promotes or participates in criminal activity associated with a takeover event may be arrested or prosecuted. Charges may include incitement to riot, vandalism, theft, assault, reckless driving, unlawful assembly, conspiracy or other applicable offenses.
They also warned that juveniles would not be exempt from punishment, and parents or guardians may also be liable for damages caused by their child’s actions.
The HBPD Special Investigations Bureau has already identified individuals believed to be involved in organizing and promoting the event, according to police.
If you have information regarding this event, you are urged to contact Huntington PD’s Special Investigations Bureau at 714-536-5991.
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