Once Homeless, Iraq War Veteran Moves Into Unique New Home in Orange County
The men now living at Potter's Lane were among 350 homeless veterans in Orange County.
By Amanda Lee Myers ••
Vernon Poling was 44 years old when he finally got a home of his own.
The Iraq War veteran was medically discharged from the Army in 2014, had to quit his trucking job for medical reasons, and found himself living out of his pickup last year in Orange County, a sprawling area of Southern California known for beaches, Disneyland and high housing costs.
Poling was homeless for seven months before he found temporary housing in the area. He then learned about Potter's Lane, an apartment complex made from recycled shipping containers, just for homeless veterans. It's believed to be the first of its kind in the U.S.
On a sunny Friday in April, Poling walked into his 480-square-foot (45-square-meter) apartment for the first time, set down his backpack on his new floor and took it all in.
AP
In this Monday, Aug. 14, 2017 photo, Iraq war veteran Vernon Poling, 44, who was homeless for seven months, rests in his apartment made out of shipping containers in Midway City, Calif. Poling, who had been medically discharged from the Army in 2014, was the last of 15 homeless veterans to move into Potter's Lane, a $6.7 million project paid for with federal, state, and local dollars, donations, and among other sources, the nonprofit behind the project, American Family Housing.(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
"I have never had a place of my own," Poling said. "I got out of high school, I tried working. I was still living with the parents. I joined the Army at 23, active duty. Then I was staying with Uncle Sam in the barracks ... To finally have my own place, it feels really good."
Poling was the last of 15 homeless veterans to move into Potter's Lane, a $6.7 million project paid for with federal, state and local dollars, donations and money from the nonprofit behind the project, American Family Housing, among other sources.
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The apartments could easily belong to San Francisco tech workers or hipsters in Los Angeles' trendy Arts District. Each of the 15 furnished units are made of three shipping containers pieced together and spiffed up with faux wood flooring, drywall and floor-to-ceiling windows on two of four walls. They include artwork and homemade quilts, and overlook a courtyard that includes a giant American flag, a garden, grills and picnic tables.
American Family Housing wanted to make sure the complex's design built on the strength of the U.S. military, said Donna Gallup, the group's president.
"All of the units look over the courtyard so that they can watch each other's backs and develop that community and that sense of belonging," she said.
AP
In this Monday, Aug. 14, 2017 photo, a giant American flags hangs on the wall of Potter's Lane, an apartment complex made out of recycled shipping containers just for homeless veterans, as Iraq war veteran Vernon Poling, 44, carries a bucket filled with water in the courtyard in Midway City, Calif. The apartments could easily belong to San Francisco tech workers or hipsters in Los Angeles' trendy Arts District. Each of the 15 furnished units are made of three shipping containers pieced together and spiffed up with faux wood flooring, drywall and floor-to-ceiling windows on two of four walls. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The men now living at Potter's Lane were among 350 homeless veterans in Orange County.
The county's homeless population is much smaller than that of neighboring Los Angeles, but it's expanding. Orange County has about 4,800 homeless people overall, a 13 percent increase since 2013, according to Point-in-Time, a group that tracks homelessness.
Potter's Lane is a positive step forward, but with just 15 apartments, it's also a "drop in the bucket" for the region's homeless, said Eve Garrow, homelessness policy analyst for the American Civil Liberties Union's Orange County office.
"About 54 percent of all people experiencing homelessness in the county are literally living in the streets," Garrow said. "Meanwhile, the wait time for affordable housing is between five and 10 years when you can get on the list. So there's a dire shortage."
Garrow also has concerns about the location of Potter's Lane in a commercial area among car repair shops.
"We need to be thinking about models that integrate people who were previously homeless so they can enjoy and access all the benefits the community offers," Garrow said. "It may be politically a little easier to put these projects in more remote or industrial areas, but that may not be meeting the needs of the people who occupy those units."
Ventura County Fire Department
Santa and Mrs. Claus visited the Thomas Fire base camp Sunday Dec. 24, 2017 as firefighters worked through the holidays.
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A house burns near Casitas Pass Road as the Thomas Fire continues to grow on December 10, 2017 near Carpinteria, California. The Thomas Fire has grown to 173,000 acres and destroyed at least 754 structures so far. Strong Santa Ana winds have been feeding major wildfires all week, destroying houses and forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate.
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A view of the Hollywood Christmas Parade Sunday Nov. 26, 2017.
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Riverside County FD
Photos from the Riverside County Fire Department showed black smoke over Perris during a brush and recycling yard fire Wednesday Oct. 18, 2017.
Carlos Garcia
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Chelsea Morawa
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Firefighters at a Los Angeles ceremony marking 16 years since the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.
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Light rain showers pass over the La Tuna fire burn areas on September 3, 2017 near Burbank, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
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A crowd gathers in front of the Hollywood sign at the Griffith Observatory to watch the solar eclipse in Los Angeles on Monday, Aug. 21, 2017. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
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Los Angeles Dodger Yasiel Puig celebrates as he runs to first after hitting a two-run double during the ninth inning to give the Dodgers a 5-4 win in a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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KNBC-TV
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Ellen Kershaw, holdingh Charley Kershaw, smile at Clayton Kershaw #22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers as he holds his daughter Cali Ann Kershaw before the game against the Minnesota Twins at Dodger Stadium on July 26, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Uniter States Fish and Wildlife Service
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AP
This Saturday, July 8, 2017, photo released by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department shows the full moon rising over flames on a hilltop near Highway 166 east of Santa Maria in what is known as the Alamo Fire in Santa Barbara County. Wildfires barreled across the baking landscape of the western U.S. and Canada in early July. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP)
AP Photo/Richard Vogel
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AP Photo/Chris Carlson
Emergency responders gather around where a Cessna 310 aircraft crashed on Interstate 405, just short of a runway at John Wayne Airport in Costa Mesa, Calif Friday, June 30, 2017. Two people were injured in the small plane crash. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
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LA County Fire Department
Red fire retardant dropped by firefighting aircraft coats a property near a wildfire Monday June 26, 2017 in Santa Clarita. The substance called Phos-Chek is given a distinctive color so pilot can see which areas have been covered during a firefight.
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Hundreds of surfers join hands for a minute in a circle off the coast of Huntington Beach to set a Guinness World record for largest surf paddle-out on Tuesday, June 20, 2017.
Kevin Carey
The beginning of the Castaic Fire Saturday June 17, 2017 north of Los Angeles. The fire grew to 800 acres, but was 60 percent contained by Monday June 19, 2017.
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The LA Resist march leaves downtown Los Angeles during LA Pride weekend Sunday June 11, 2017.
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Khallid Shabazz
The massive "Angeli" tunnel-boring machine broke through a wall of dirt at a future subway station in downtown LA.
AP
Firefighters, lower right, work to contain a wildfire that broke out in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles, Sunday, May 28, 2017. A dark plume of smoke was visible for miles as the fire consumed moderate to thick brush near Mandeville Canyon Road, a dead end road that snakes up a deep canyon lined by expensive view homes. A few residents voluntarily left but no homes were damaged. (AP Photo/Brian Melley)
LA Street Services
Workers apply a cool pavement coating to a street Saturday May 20, 2017 in Canoga Park. The coating is designed to reduce temperatures on the the surface of streets during Southern California heat waves.
Marin Austin
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Caltrans honored workers killed on the job with a powerful memorial Tuesday May 2, 2017.
Dane Davidson
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AP Photo/Reed Saxon
Demonstrators take part in a rally and march in downtown Los Angeles, part of the March for Science, Saturday, April 22, 2017. They chanted "Money for science and education, not for wars and climate alteration."
AP
A Metro employee sweeps up around Harriet, the tunnel boring machine, prior to a retirement party at the future Leimert Park Station in Los Angeles Friday, April 21, 2017. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority held a ceremony to retire the behemoth Friday at the site of the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Project.
Jonathan Gonzalez
A view of Los Angeles State Historic Park on Friday, April 21, 2017, a day before it opened to the public.
Alysia Gray Painter
A dramatic piece by artist Abel Bentin follows the gummy bear room in the Museum of Ice Cream. The pop-up museum is open in the Arts District of Los Angeles for a limited time.
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INDIO, CA - APRIL 21: Big Gigantic performs at the Sahara Tent during day 1 of the 2017 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival (Weekend 2) at the Empire Polo Club on April 21, 2017 in Indio, California.
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A detailed view of the Jackie Robinson statue is seen after its unveiling at Dodger Stadium on April 15, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.
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Nicholas Martinez carries his daughter, Monique, a kindergarten student at North Park Elementary School, on his shoulders after they were reunited at Cajon High School, Monday, April 10, 2017, in San Bernardino, Calif., after a deadly shooting at the elementary school. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
National Park Service
Four-month-old P-54, who may have been born as a result of inbreeding in the Santa Monica Mountains sometime in March 2017.
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Baseball fans pose for a picture in front of a photo of Vin Scully before the start of an opening day baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, Monday, April 3, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Kang)
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So Yeon Ryu of South Korea kisses the winner's trophy after winning the ANA Inspiration on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club on April 2, 2017 in Rancho Mirage, California. The ANA Inspiration is one of five annual major championships on the LPGA tour.
Whitney Irick
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Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Target Chevrolet, poses with the trophy in victory lane after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway on March 26, 2017 in Fontana, California.
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Marcus Stroman #6 of team United States is awarded with the MVP trophy after their 8-0 win over team Puerto Rico during Game 3 of the Championship Round of the 2017 World Baseball Classic at Dodger Stadium on March 22, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.
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Elisha Barno of Kenya takes first place in the 2017 Skechers Performance Los Angeles Marathon on March 19, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jonathan Moore/Getty Images for LA Marathon)
Jon Lindquist
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Diamond Valley Lake wildflowers are blooming in the hills near Hemet on Thursday, March 9, 2017.
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Musician Chris Martin performs onstage at the 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards which broadcast live on Turner's TBS, TNT, and truTV at The Forum on March 5, 2017 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for iHeartMedia)
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Roger Federer of Switzerland in action during a practice session on day four of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 9, 2017 in Indian Wells, California. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
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A woman looks at balloons covering a polling place at the Hollywood Sunset Free Clinic as Angelenos go to the polls on March 7, 2017 in the Silver Lake section of Los Angeles, California. Voters headed to the polls as LA Mayor Eric Garcettis is seeking reelection against a field of 10 challengers. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
Mike Bebernes
The International Women's Day March drew participants to downtown Los Angeles Sunday March 5, 2017.
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Los Angeles Kings broadcaster Bob Miller addresses the fans during a rally at Staples Center. Miler retired from broadcasting due to health reasons on Thursday, March 2nd, 2017.
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Jordan Horowitz, producer of "La La Land," shows the envelope revealing "Moonlight" as the true winner of best picture at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Presenter Warren Beatty and host Jimmy Kimmel look on from right. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
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Theresa Mendoza, who said she had been formerly homeless and knew the officer, adds a rose to a growing memorial for Whittier, Calif., Police Officer Keith Boyer in Whittier Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017. Boyer was killed in a shootout during a traffic stop Monday. Boyer and Officer Patrick Hazell didn't know that the motorist allegedly had killed his cousin hours earlier in neighboring East Los Angeles and stolen his car. Boyer died and Hazell and the suspected gunman were wounded and hospitalized. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)
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Scenic artist Rick Roberts of Local 800 paints Oscar statues for Sunday's 89th Academy Awards red carpet, near the Dolby Theatre on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
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Two cars were trapped in a large sinkhole in Studio City after a period of intense rain Feb. 17, 2017.
A pilot and his mother were thankful to have survived after his small plane made a hard landing Wednesday Feb. 15, 2017 on a race track at the Fairplex in Pomona.
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Host James Corden performs onstage during The 59th GRAMMY Awards at STAPLES Center on February 12, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for NARAS)
Thomas Bravo
An Iranian man sent back on a plane after arriving at LAX under the travel ban returns once more under a court order, embracing his niece Thursday, Feb. 2, 2017.
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Police officers block demonstrators from marching on the lower roadway during a protest against President Donald Trump's executive order banning travel from seven Muslim-majority countries, at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017. (AP Photo/Ryan Kang)
Wendar Fu
Residents captured images of an unusual hole-punch cloud formation in January 2017. This one was taken by Wendar Fu in Torrance.
Santa Barbara County Fire Department
A storm Friday Jan. 20, 2017 caused flooding and debris flows in the El Capitan Canyon area of Santa Barbara.
Loud Labs
A car crashed into the iconic Bob's Big Boy in Downey, flipping and smashing through a window Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017.
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Actresses Meryl Streep (L) and Viola Davis attend a ceremony honoring Viola Davis with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 5, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
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Wide receiver Darreus Rogers #1 of the USC Trojans celebrates after defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions 52-49 to win the 2017 Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 2, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Toni Guinyard
A family sits out in the cold and drizzle to watch the annual Rose Parade on Monday, Jan. 2, 2017.
David Lerner
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Los Angeles police search Fertitta Hall on the USC campus after receiving calls about a possible shooting on Monday, Oct. 2, 2017. The report turned out to stem from a teacher who falsely told students there was "an active shooter" on the campus.
Gallup of American Family Housing said the location helped speed the permitting process.
"In just about six months' time we had an entire 15-unit project completed," Gallup said. "Normally a traditional project would take up to two years to build, and the fact that our homeless veterans are sleeping on the streets right now, I think timing is very important."
Megan Hustings, director of the Washington, D.C.-based National Coalition for the Homeless, said she's never heard of using shipping containers for permanent housing for the homeless, though there have been affordable housing projects involving tiny houses in places like Denver, Seattle and Austin.
A lack of affordable housing nationwide means more projects like Potter's Lane are needed, Hustings said.
"We're going to have to consider a wide variety of solutions," she said. "Everyone's really feeling the crunch. It's just everywhere."
Placentia Police Department
The Placentia Police Department released a surveillance video photo on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, of a suspect who took a blowtorch to an ATM to try to break into it.
Pennsylvania State Police
Security cameras captured a shirtless man in a stolen ambulance as he stopped for cigarettes before a pursuit Sunday Dec. 16, 2018 that began in the Lake Elsinore area and continued into the high desert north of Los Angeles. Read more here.
KNBC-TV
Security camera video shows a sheriff's department patrol car chasing a stolen ambulance Sunday Dec. 16, 2018 in a convenience store parking lot.
OCHawk
A man in a construction vest is wanted in a robbery at an Anaheim doughnut shop.
LAPD
This man is sought in a Thursday March 1, 2018 robbery at a Pico-Union laundromat. He can be seen on security camera video slashing the woman's neck before taking off with her purse and $20.
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A mob of cyclists robbed a small market on Jan. 28, 2018 in Pico Union.
KNBC-TV
An armed robber dubbed the Penny Pincher Bandit appears to reach into the take-a-penny-leave-a-penny tray during a Canoga Park fuel station heist.
Authorities are searching for criminals who they believe are the same three men responsible for a string of pharmacy robberies around Los Angeles. Story broadcast Monday Nov. 20, 2017.
Glendale Police Department
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Placentia police
Placentia police on Sunday released new photos in an effort to catch two armed suspects who stole Apple electronic devices valued at $60,000 from a Verizon store.
KNBC-TV
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Santa Ana Police Department
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Los Angeles Police Department
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KNBC-TV
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KNBC-TV
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Orange County Law Enforcement
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Video Provided by Store Management
A man threw cans of Red Bull at an AM-PM mini-mart clerk in La Mirada Monday July 10, 2017 as a woman and two children left the store with cases of the energy drink. According to the clerk, the robbery started when a woman headed to the register with two young boys to distract him with questions about cigarettes.
Irvine PD
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Danville PD
Security camera images show a woman, identified by police as a former Southern California officer, disguised in a beard during a Danville bank robbery Tuesday May 23, 2017.
Santa Ana Police Department
Detectives with the Santa Ana Police Department released surveillance video on Wednesday, April 5, 2017, showing a suspect assault a store employee after his credit card was declined.
Santa Ana Police Department
Surveillance video shows the moments a white Ford van hit a motorcyclist, who later died at the hospital Friday, March 17, 2017. Police sought the driver of the van, who fled.
Riverside police
Police searched for a woman Monday, March 13, 2017, who they say left her 2-year-old daughter in a Riverside Food 4 Less Sunday. The woman, Chiengkham Vilaysane, suspected of abandoning the toddler was arrested Tuesday, March 14, 2017.
Riverside police
A man accused of snapping pictures up a woman's skirt at a Riverside Target was caught on camera Wednesday, March 1, 2017. Riverside police were trying to track him down after the victim said he pretended to shop before snapping the pictures up her skirt as she shopped with her young child. Read more here.
KNBC-TV
Three men were responsible for back-to-back burglaries at two Irvine companies in February 2017 that netted them $500,000 in high-end sunglasses, headsets, laptops and virtual reality equipment. The thieves used a van to ram their way into a business.
Kristin Nehls
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
LA County Sheriff’s investigators believe these three women played on the kindness of a stranger in order to carjack him. Authorities released photos of the women Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2017, hoping somebody might recognize them and turn them in. The women caught on surveillance video in a Stevenson Ranch Mobil gas station Jan. 11 shows the women getting in the car with a man. Deputies said they played on his kindness by asking for a ride, then carjacked him at knifepoint.
A man caught on camera breaking into a church school in Perris is though to be behind at least three burglaries where thousands worth in surveillance equipment disappeared, church members said Wednesday, Jan, 25, 2017. He was later caught on a local Target store's camera using a credit card stolen from the church.
Police sought the public's help Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016, in identifying a rifle-wielding gunman who robbed two businesses in Santa Ana.
KNBC-TV
An armed robber who entered an adult-themed store Wednesday Dec. 16, 2016 and demanded cash was chased off by two employees who lobbed sex toys at him.
KNBC-TV
Security camera images show what appears to be a man trying to steal wind chimes from a Woodland Hills home.
Montebello Police Department
Montebello police released surveillance video of a man in a clown mask robbing a woman in a parking garage on Oct. 29, 2016.
Crown Gold Exchange
A robber wearing a curly-haired wig and women's sunglasses was captured on camera robbing two locations, in Corona and Chino, of Crown Gold Exchange on Friday, Dec. 9, 2016.
Humboldt Farmacy Dispensary
A vandal was caught on camera spray painting a swastika on a building in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016.
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A police chase took a dangerous turn when the stolen vehicle narrowly missed park goers as it careened into an Anaheim skate park on Friday, Nov. 25, 2016.
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A woman was caught on camera etching hundreds of words onto a car for 7 hours.
Simon's Market
A Venice store owner fought off an armed robber in Monday in a rumble caught on camera. The store owner is hoping the release of the surveillance footage will catch the man, he said Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2016.
Whittier Police Department
Whittier police were searching for a carjacker who rear-ended a man's vehicle and took off with his car while they exchanged information.
Surveillance courtesy of Superior Market
Two men pretending to mull a jewelry purchase made off with two trays of engagement rings in Corona, police said Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016.
Faith Lutheran Church of West Anaheim
Two women were caught on surveillance video stealing from a west Anaheim church during a Sunday service on Oct. 23, 2016.
Riverside Police Department
Surveillance video shows a suspected arsonist setting fire to a Riverside liquor store. The man and two others were arrested in connection with a string of arson fires committed at the store -- police found the owner of the competing store across the street paid two men to set fires to Sunny Liquor.
Fairmont, Washington, D.C.
Thieves take off with a safe from a Flame Broiler in Fullerton after smashing through the restaurant's glass door Friday Oct. 14, 2016.
LAPD
Police were searching for a man who punched a woman outside a Venice market on Sunday Sept. 25, 2016. The physical altercation was captured on surveillance footage.
El Monte Police Department
Authorities believe this man was behind two robberies this week, during which he left in this Toyota Tundra, police said on Thursday, Sept.1, 2016.
Alfred Krawitz
A "polite" well-dressed robber was accused of holding up as many as 20 stores in the San Bernardino area, police said Wednesday, June 15, 2016.
Courtesy of Huntington Beach Police Department
A white male with brown hair and multiple tattoos was caught on security footage entering an apartment complex parking lot in Huntington Beach and making off with two bikes and a barbecue early morning Wednesday, June 29, 2016.
Glendale Police Department
Surveillance video shows two women burglarizing a Glendale restaurant on May, 31, 2016.
HopCat
Three Santa Ana police officers who were part of a pot shop raid that was caught on surveillance cameras pleaded not guilty to petty theft charges Monday, June 21. 2016.
KNBC-TV
Four men were arrested Thursday June 16, 2016 and charged with helping to plan and execute a series of smash-and-grab robberies targeting millions of dollars worth of Rolex and other high-end Swiss watches at retail stores across Southern California.
Alfred Krawitz
A "well-dressed" and "polite" man stunned cashiers at a Circle K in Fontana when he robbed them, and police say the man may have done it 20 or so other times.
Courtesy of Mejii Pharmacy
Surveillance video captured three burglars smashing through a glass door and rummaging for goods at a pharmacy in Gardena on Thursday, June 9, 2016.
Azusa Police Department
Surveillance video caught a woman stealing packages from a home in Azusa on Friday, May 27, 2016.
KNBC-TV
Thieves targeted a liquor store in for lotto tickets May 16, 2016, using a van and chain to pull the door off the Garden Grove business.
KNBC-TV
Two suspected mail thieves were caught on camera emptying out mailboxes at a Sherman Oaks condominium complex. (Published Sunday, May 15, 2016).
Arcadia PD
Two thieves were caught on camera Tuesday April 19, 2016 as they smashed jewelry store display windows and stole merchandise.
KNBC-TV
A man was captured on surveillance video breaking into a storage area of the Taco Surf restaurant in Dana Point and taking off with $4 on Wednesday, March 30, 2016.
Santa Ana Police Department
A woman accused of stealing three statues from a Buddhist temple in Santa Ana about a year after vandalizing another temple was arrested on Friday, March, 18, 2016.
Caveman Vintage Music
Police were investigating after a man was caught on camera taking a custom guitar off the wall and walking out of Caveman Vintage Music in Chinatown on Saturday. (Published Sunday, March 13, 2016.)
KNBC-TV
Police said they were searching for a man accused of breaking into cars in a Koreatown complex garage before stealing items Saturday, March 12, 2016.
Ventura Police Department
A man and woman were accused of scamming a victim out of $8,000 using an elaborate lottery scheme, Ventura police said Friday, March 11, 2016.
Tustin Police Department
A man trailed a woman in a Ralph's grocery store before following her home and assaulting her, police said Wednesday, March 2, 2016.
LAPD
A robbery steals a bag of church offerings from a parishioner Jan. 12, 2016 at a Boyle Heights church.
Authorities were searching for two men in connection with the theft of a canister used for collecting Christmas donations for children.
Van Nuys residents were outraged after suspected thieves were caught on camera stealing mail.
OnScene.TV
Two robbers armed with a shotgun hold up a Pizza Hut in Buena Park on Sunday, Nov. 29, 2015.
San Bernardino Police Department
The San Bernardino Police Department released this surveillance image of a pickup truck suspected in a hit-and-run crash that killed a woman on the morning of Friday, Oct. 2, 2015.
KNBC
Police were searching for at least two men suspected of breaking into several homes and cars in the Palos Verdes Estates.
Surveilance Video
Investigators are looking for any information on the identities of a team of burglars that broke into a home in La Canada-Flintridge.
Costa Mesa Police Department/Edward Caban
Benjamin Golden, left, was arrested in connection with an assault on an Uber driver in Newport Beach on Friday, Oct. 30, 2015.
Tony Shin, Alex Vasquez
Police were investigating a break-in at at the San Bernardino Animal Control shelter on Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2015.
FBI
The so-called Skipper Bandit has robbed one bank and has attempted to rob three others in the San Fernando Valley.
LAPD
Two men are caught on camera burglarizing multiple offices in Topanga on Oct. 19, 2015.
KNBC-TV
Surveillance footage captured a Corvette stolen from a Culver City dealership before leading the police on a pursuit ending in Riverside on Monday, Oct. 26, 2015.
Alfred Krawitz
Two masked burglars broke into three Glendora businesses early morning Friday, Oct. 16, 2015.
AP
Police were searching for an armed robber who held up several stores in Inglewood.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department released images of a man wanted in a string of armed robberies in East Los Angeles.
Courtesy Miguel Cejas
A would-be burglar was caught on camera trying to break out of a Pomona Sprint store. Aired Oct. 2, 2015.
Surveillance Video
29-year-old Demarrea Chante Barnes shown beating 83-year-old Tuyen Nguyen in a parking lot early in the morning on Friday, September 25, 2015.
LAPD
Authorities are searching for the man who slammed another man to ground, fracturing his skull, in a May 26, 2015 road rage attack that was caught on video.
Los Angeles Police Department
A thief runs off with Crest teeth whitening strips from a San Pedro Target store on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2015.
City of Ojai Police Department
Police asked for the public's help on Wednesday, August 13, 2015 to identify this man police believe is responsible for stealing a fanny pack containing a NYPD police badge in Ojai.
Santa Ana PD
Three people suspected of stealing nearly $60,000 worth of high-end cosmetics from CVS stores in five counties were arrested after the crimes were caught on security cameras.
KNBC-TV
A thief is seen on a baby monitor camera in a Huntington Beach home. This video was broadcast Friday Aug. 7, 2015 on Today in LA.
Placentia Police Department
The Placentia Police Department provided this security camera image of a masked man who robbed a Walgreen's pharmacy Wednesday July 29, 2015.
Romy Dee
A lifeguard was involved in an altercation Thursday July 30, 2015 at Venice Pier.
Two teenage girls were suspected of stealing two puppies from a pet store in Compton Thursday, July 30, 2015.
Police are looking for a woman caught on camera stealing a package off a porch. (July 31, 2015)
NBC10
Police were searching for three suspects who allegedly stole a wallet with about $1,000 and credit cards from an unsuspecting woman in Glendale on July 15, 2015.
A burglar accidentally recorded footage of himself on a stolen iPhone after breaking into a Venice area home, police said on Thursday, July 16, 2015.
Kevin Zanazanian
Police are looking for a driver who was caught on a cell phone video driving backwards through the Hollywood hills, Melissa Etezadi reports for NBC4 News at 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, 2015.
Madera PD
A man armed with a soda attacks a store clerk June 11, 2015 in Madera, California before taking off with cash.
Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is asking for information regarding two burglaries and an assault that occurred in March and April at Park La Brea Apartments.
Toni Guinyard, KNBC-TV
A store window is smashed Friday July 3, 2015 after crash-and-grab heists in which a vehicle smashed into two Long Beach businesses.
KINBC
A scrappy senior ended up on the floor as he fought with a teen mugger in Santa Ana Wednesday, July 2, 2015
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Industry Station
Police are asking for the public's help to identify the man responsible for robbing several churches in the Hacienda Heights and Rowland Heights areas on Thursday, July 2, 2015.
Garden Grove Police Department
Two men robbed a Shell Gas Station in Garden Grove on Monday, June 29, 2015. Garden Grove Police Department has asked for the public's help to identify these two men caught on surveillance camera.
Seal Beach Police Department
A man pumping gas is shown on surveillance video being attacked by another man with what police say appears to be a tire iron on Sunday, June 28, 2015.
KNBC
Ten people have been arrested in connection with a multimillion dollar jewelry heist in Koreatown, police said June 18, 2015.
FBI
An armed robbery occurred as a Brinks employee was stocking an ATM with money April 24, 2015 in the drive-through service area of a Wells Fargo Bank on South Market Street in Inglewood.
KNBC-TV
A thief holds a bag of cash during a holdup Monday June 8, 2015 at a convenience store near USC.
Three children danced after throwing rocks through a church's windows before flooding it with a garden hose in Lake Elsinore Monday, June 1, 2015
San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department
Authorities have arrested a man accused of terrorizing store owners in the Inland Empire during a string of caught-on-camera armed robberies.
Orange County Sheriff's Department
An armed robber covering his face with a bandana made off with $5,000 in cash from an El Torito Grill restaurant in Yorba Linda on Sunday, May 31, 2015, sheriff's officials said.
Courtesy: El Segundo Police Department
Two people were caught on camera stealing an ATM machine Wednesday, May 27, 2015 by tying it to the back of a Chevy Silverado 3500 Dually and ripping it from its bolts near a 7-Eleven at 603 N. Sepulveda Blvd. in El Segundo.
Oficina del Alguacil del Condado Sarasota
A quick-thinking Murrieta resident was able to capture on video a man who allegedly smashed a neighbor's car window and stole belongings. Tony Shin reports on May 27, 2015.
Azusa Police Department
Three armed robbers stormed a pawn shop in Azusa on Sunday, May 24, 2015, broke an employee's nose and made off with guns and jewelry, police said.
LAX police used a Taser to subdue a man who had not been cooperating at an LAX screening area on Wednesday, May 20, 2015.
A 16-year-old Garden Grover girl was startled to wake up with a home invader sitting on her bed on Friday, May 1, 2015.
Courtesy: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Deputies were looking for a man accused of stealing breast pumps from multiple Target stores in Los Angeles.
AP/Getty Images
A masked robber may have struck the same Victorville gas station three times in a month, investigators said Wednesday, April 22, 2015.
NBC 5 News
This burglar who allegedly sexually assaulted a 7-year-old girl in her home is still on the loose almost a year later, police said Wednesday, April 15, 2015.
Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles Police Department detectives are looking for the burglar pictured in this video. His pants slipped down as he was stealing cigarette cartons at a gas station Wednesday, March 11, 2015.
KNBC-TV
A break-in was captured on security camera video at a medical marijuana dispensary March 9, 2015.
AM-PM
A tourist jumped into action to stop a robbery in progress by locking the suspect into a chokehold on Sunday, April 5, 2015.
Courtesy of family
Surveillance video shows a burglar's wrecking-ball escape from an El Monte home on Tuesday, March 31, 2015.
KNBC
A still from surveillance video shows a man carjacking a woman at a West Hills gas station on Saturday, April 4, 2015.
KNBC-TV
A 2-year-old girl believed to have been abducted in Gardena was found Thursday April 2, 2015 14 miles away in Cudahy after her kidnapper dropped her off, police said. Police sought this vehicle in connection with the crime.
KNBC
Surveillance video shows the moment of impact between a Ford Mustang and another car in a fatal crash during a suspected illegal street race in Gardena on Tuesday, March 31, 2015.
Pasadena PD
Police reviewed fuel station surveillance video as part of the investigation into a robbery and attack on an 87-year-old man near the Rose Bowl Friday March 27, 2015.
Ameritek Industries
Surveillance footage from a nearby business shows two men walking along Maclay Avenue in San Fernando. One of the men can be seen slashing tires on parked cars. The tire slashing took place sometime between March 28 and March 30, police said.
KNBC
Police are looking for two men who came to the aid of an 82-year-old woman after a purse snatching in La Habra, investigators said March 30, 2015.
An Orange County family was stunned to find a ski-mask-wearing burglar inside the master bedroom of their home on Tuesday, March 24, 2015.
KNBC-TV
A 27-year-old waitress was injured Sunday, March 22, 2015, after four customers ran her over in a dine-and-dash, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Surveillance cameras captured the suspects leaving the restaurant.
A suspected car arsonist was caught on surveillance camera in West Adams on March 23, 2015.
KNBC-TV
Smash-and-grab burglars are caught on cameras Saturday March 14, 2015 at a Glendale optometry store.
NBC 5 News
A homeowner watched helplessly on his security system as thieves broke into his Los Angeles house on Sunday, Mar. 1 2015.
Burbank Police Department
Burbank police believe this man is responsible for a mid-day home invasion in a quiet hillside neighborhood, making off with half a million dollars in cash. The two men police say are involved pleaded not guilty on Monday, March 16 to felony charges.
Mauricio Jaramillo / Telemundo Denver
An armed robber dressed as a doctor threatened to shoot a cashier during a failed heist in Signal Hill Friday Feb. 6, 2015.
Glendale PD
A cashier jumps on a counter as a man armed with a blow torch demands cash Jan. 18, 2015 at a La Crescenta liquor store.
Huntington Beach PD
An intoxicated bike thief's getaway crash was captured on camera Thursday Jan. 1, 2015 in Huntington Beach.
Police sought two gunmen, one wearing a gorilla mask and the other wearing a monkey mask, who stormed into a store in the Fairfax District and stole women's Nike Jordans.
KNBC-TV
An armed thief pointed a gun at loss prevention officers before carjacking a man outside a Sears store in Crenshaw on Sept. 9, 2014.
Murrieta Police Department
Surveillance footage at a Super Target in Murrieta captured a man and woman wanted in vacuum thefts, police said Monday, Oct. 13, 2014.
KNBC-TV
Three thieves smashed a cell phone store window Monday Oct. 20, 2014 and used a bolt cutter in a burglary caught on camera in Garden Grove.
Garden Grove Police Dept.
Surveillance images depict a man believed to have robbed a US Bank in Garden Grove on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2014.
Security Camera Video, OCSD
Video provided by the Orange County Sheriff's Department shows a liquor store heist Tuesday Oct. 14, 2014 in Stanton.
FBI
In these surveillance video stills released by the FBI, the so-called "AK-47 Bandit" is seen robbing banks in the Western U.S. and Nebraska.
After two months of living in his new home, Poling said he was feeling settled and had made friends, particularly with his next-door neighbor Dale Dollar, a former Marine who was homeless for 14 years.
On a recent Monday evening, Poling and Dollar sidled up to a picnic table with plates of pasta and salad, part of a weekly meal provided to Potter's Lane residents by a local nonprofit. They laughed and bobbed their heads to upbeat oldies playing on speakers as they chowed down.
Though he appreciates the company, Poling said the best part of his new home is probably his bed.
"There's been a couple nights that I've been surprised I've slept so long," Poling said. "It's a load off."
