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Neighbors Complain Taco Bell Attracting Crime In Orangevale

ORANGEVALE (CBS13) — A Taco Bell is the target of a local crime watch group.

Concerned citizens in Orangevale say the fast food restaurant on Greenback Lane is enabling illegal activity and they're demanding it clean up its act or get out.

"They're inside, they're outside all hours of the night," said 35-year-old Brandon Schwab who's lived in Orangevale all his life.

Schwab says Taco Bell has been taken over by transients.

"We've seen drug use, prostitution and all types of illegal activity and it's all happening right here."

He has photos which he says show drug deals happening right in front of the store in broad daylight. Inside the restaurant, he says he's witnessed even worse.

"I saw guys sniffing things off the table and passing baggies and money to each other."

Schwab and many others in the community are now boycotting the business. On Friday, the Orangevale Crime Watch Group gathered in the parking lot to send a message.

OCVW Founder Gary Burns said, "I certainly would not want to bring my kids into the restaurants with the transients that are here."

The group says several calls have been made to the store's owner, who also owns another Taco Bell in town with similar problems.

"A lot of lip service and nothing's been done and it's just getting worse," said Schwab.

In the past six months, there have been 20 calls for service at the location regarding transient issues, according to the Sacramento county sheriffs office. Some of those calls have come from management and employees themselves. Deputies have also issued multiple "no trespassing" orders.

Dane Huusfeldt lives on the streets and while he says illegal drug activity does take place in and around Taco Bell, he says many homeless that hang out there aren't breaking any laws.

"I don't go into the Taco Bell unless I have some money to get something to eat," said Huusfeldt.

The watchdog group says this isn't an attack on homeless, but instead a fight to get rid of dangerous drug activity starting with the places they believe are enabling it.

"I want it to stop. I want either for Taco Bell to get shut down or I want them to stop the behavior," said Schwab.

CBS13 reached out to the management of the Taco Bell, which referred us to Taco Bell's corporate officials. They did not return our call.

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