WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Residents of a Wilkes-Barre neighborhood say they are concerned about what they describe as "unusual activity" at a house in their neighborhood.
Wilkes-barre city officials shut down the house late last week and found people living in the house.
The property in question is located at 28 West South Street, several blocks from downtown Wilkes-Barre. The big question neighbors have is: "Is this house the center of illegal activity?"
These photos (seen below) were taken by a resident of South Street on Friday night. You can see Wilkes-Barre police as well as a utility truck near the house. You can also see several people outside the house many of them wearing backpacks and carrying trash bags.
In one photo you can see Wilkes-Barre police cruisers near a flatbed tow truck. Neighbors say a car with New York plates was towed from the scene. Attorney Al Flora lives across the street from the house.
"The police went in and I saw about ten young people taken out, not in handcuffs, they did not cause any trouble. The police handled the matter very well. A Luzerne County Transportation bus was brought in to take the people away," said Attorney Al Flora.
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LCTA officials tell the I-Team that when their driver arrived police officers said the bus was not needed. Flora says he has seen people coming and going for the last several months.
I can tell you that this has been going on since last fall. You would see a white van pull up every now and then. Initially, I thought it was just some people cleaning, then after a while, I saw them putting in some mattresses thinking people were moving in. It was mostly young people I saw 17 to 18 in that age group," Flora added.
Dr. Jerome Campbell says Wilkes-Barre officials first checked out the house Friday afternoon. Nobody was there. Then at around 8:00 Friday night, neighbors saw lights on inside the house. When police arrived, the lights were shut off.
We've been watching it for a long time. We felt we had to say something because you know strange occurrences all these kids coming and going, different ones all the time," stated Dr. Jerome Campbell, neighbor.
Bob Kadluboski operates a towing business in the city and he says neighbors reached out to him about the situation.
What has the neighbors very concerned, who I have personally talked to? Who are these people? Where do they come from? Why are they here," asked Kadluboski.
Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown issued this statement to the I-Team Monday stating:
"I am sorry to say that I cannot speak with you about this issue because it is an ongoing investigation."
Late Monday, Wilkes-Barre Police Chief Joe Coffay confirmed with the I-Team that they had identified the people who were in the house and that none of them were juveniles. They also notified the property owner of what had to be done to have the house reopened.
