A run-down mansion, a Getty connection

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A run-down mansion, a Getty connection

Postby cptmarginal » Tue May 21, 2019 1:36 pm

WTF?

A run-down mansion, a Getty connection: The tale of the weapons cache at an L.A. home

By HANNAH FRY, SONJA SHARP, RICHARD WINTON and MARIA L. LA GANGA
MAY 10, 2019 | 11:00 AM

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Authorities seized more than a thousand guns from a Holmby Hills home after getting an anonymous tip regarding illegal firearms sales in a posh area near the Playboy Mansion. They served a search warrant around 4 a.m. Wednesday. (KCBC/KCAL)

The scene was straight out of a B movie: Run-down mansion. Tony neighborhood. Anonymous tip. The whiff of celebrity. And a jaw-droppingly large cache of weapons, some of questionable legality.

Investigators with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives descended on the tatty Bel-Air mansion along with members of the Los Angeles Police Department in the early morning darkness.

What they found there Wednesday was both lethal and perplexing. The sprawling white clapboard house — two stories, five bedrooms hidden behind a discolored gate and a tall hedge — was in complete disarray. Guns were everywhere in what authorities described as a hoarder’s paradise in the 100 block of North Beverly Glen.

There were AR-15 military-style automatic rifles, what appeared to be a World War II-era Thompson submachine gun, .44-caliber handguns, .357 magnum revolvers, long guns with intricately carved stocks, an Uzi 9-millimeter submachine gun — complete with silencer — and a 9-millimeter Luger pistol.

More than 1,000 firearms in all. It would take 30 law enforcement personnel more than a dozen hours to clear the house and remove the weapons, along with gun parts and boxes of ammunition. The weapons were arrayed in long lines on white blankets on the property’s winding driveway Wednesday, a jumble of metal and wood.

Once authorities cataloged the stockpile, the guns were loaded into a large box truck and driven off the property. The weapons will be itemized and booked into evidence, said Lt. Chris Ramirez, an LAPD spokesman.

“This is a big stash,” Ramirez told reporters at the scene. “It’s beyond comprehension that somebody can have so many weapons in a residence like this, in a neighborhood like this.”

That somebody is alleged to be 57-year-old Girard Saenz, who was inside the home at the time of the raid. He was arrested on suspicion of violating California’s law regarding assault weapons and .50-caliber Browning machine guns. The law prohibits the manufacture, distribution, transportation, importation and sale of such guns except in specific circumstances.

As authorities investigated Wednesday evening, vans rumbled by full of tourists headed to see the nearby Playboy Mansion and other homes owned by wealthy Los Angeles A-listers. Jay-Z and Beyoncé live in a mansion less than a mile from the scene.

But Saenz — who authorities allege was selling weapons from the Bel-Air home — has a much stronger connection to the rich and famous than simply living near the hip-hop power couple.

He was identified in court records as the longtime companion of Los Angeles real estate mogul Cynthia Beck. Public records show the Bel-Air property is owned by Beck, who has three daughters with J. Paul Getty’s son Gordon Getty. Getty is an heir to the Getty Oil fortune and an international patron of the arts.

Beck was thrust into the spotlight in 1999, when the girls filed a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court to change their surname from Beck to the far more glamorous Getty. At the time, there also were negotiations over the possibility of future inheritance.

Getty, who had a wife and four grown sons in San Francisco, publicly acknowledged his double life, which had been an open secret in certain glitzy Bay Area circles. Tongues wagged.

As one local columnist cracked at the time: “If only San Francisco’s high society had been hired to guard the United States’ nuclear weapons secrets, the ones that have steadily leaked out to the Chinese.”

Getty also was a father figure, business partner and political donor to none other than Gov. Gavin Newsom, who, as a teenager, went on an African safari with the oil scion and his wife, Ann.

Beck bought the house in January 2001, but it remains unclear what, if any, connection she has to Wednesday’s events or if she lives at the home. In more recent years, she has accumulated a trove of property in Los Angeles and San Francisco, some of which she owns with Saenz, according to public records.

She could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Authorities launched their investigation into the weapons cache after they received an anonymous tip that someone was manufacturing and selling guns at the home.

The ATF said in a statement that its agents searched the house after discovering Saenz was illegally selling firearms outside the scope of the federal license he possesses. Law enforcement has not specified how Saenz was allegedly selling weapons.

Saenz posted a $50,000 bond and was released from custody shortly after 9 a.m. Thursday. He could not be reached for comment.

He has been a licensed general building contractor since 1994 and operates a business that he started in the early 1990s in San Diego called Gerry Saenz and Associates, according to public records. Archives from a local newspaper in Coronado from 1993 note that the business specialized in architectural environmental lighting and landscape design.

Saenz was arrested at a Malibu home in September 2017 on suspicion of brandishing a firearm. But those involved told deputies they did not want to pursue the matter, according to a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department spokesman. Saenz was released within a few hours of being detained. No charges were filed.

Saenz’s current business address is a property on North Bunker Hill Avenue in Los Angeles that he owns with Beck. The home was one of several locations that were searched by authorities Wednesday, law enforcement sources not authorized to speak publicly told The Times.

Public records indicate Saenz lived in the San Diego area with his ex-wife in the early 1990s and eventually moved to Los Angeles.

Neighbors say the home where he was arrested is normally quiet.

“I was talking to my neighbors — nobody knows who he is,” said resident Nicole DiGiorgio, a Queens native who is among the few pedestrians to brave the sidewalk-less streets in the neighborhood. “I walk up and down here all the time, I never see anyone come in or out.”

On Thursday, Bel-Air bustled with housekeepers, gardeners and maintenance staff tending to the clay tennis courts and tangled private jungles that dot the tony enclave. Drivers slowed as they passed the Beverly Glen home to snap photos and show their friends on FaceTime.

Experts say it’s not illegal for someone to possess a massive cache of weapons. But the person is required to comply with California and federal laws regarding firearms, said Steve Cooley, a former L.A. County district attorney.

Still, the amount of firepower stored in the house unnerved some neighbors.

“It’s scary, because you think it’s a safe place, especially this area,” said Christian Aleman, a carpenter who parks across the street from the home and walks to a nearby job site. He said he never saw anyone come or go from the house, but he worried for the children who played at a park down the street.

“There’s a lot of kids playing in this park,” Aleman said. “Always, all the time, right across from this house.”

Times staff writers Alejandra Reyes-Velarde, Jaclyn Cosgrove and Alexa Diaz contributed to this report.


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Re: A run-down mansion, a Getty connection

Postby Wombaticus Rex » Sat May 25, 2019 12:54 pm

"It Is Happening Again"

Previous thread on Jeffrey Alan Lash and his stash
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Re: A run-down mansion, a Getty connection

Postby cptmarginal » Mon May 27, 2019 1:42 pm

Yeah, I nearly bumped that thread instead of starting a new one because it reminded me of the same thing...

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The curious case of Cynthia Beck’s abandoned Malibu and Bel Air mansions - 18/05/2018

(click through for images)

Paradise Cove in Malibu is perhaps the most scenic beach in the city. Blessed with a broad shore, the sand here has a soft consistency. The waves are gentle, the aquamarine water lustrous and sparkling. As such, the few dozen estate homes in the area are all terrifically expensive and owned by some of the world’s wealthiest peeps. Current residents include Steve Jobs’ widow Laurene Powell (her $60 million compound is still unfinished), Beats baller Jimmy Iovine (also a $60 million estate), A-lister Leonardo DiCaprio (a $23 million vacant lot), entrepreneurs Richard & Laurie Lynn Stark (a $40 million shack), and LA Rams owner Stan Kroenke and his Walmart heiress wife Ann Walton (a two-house compound).

Yet every rose has its thorn, and every supermodel has her blemish. Perhaps a wonky eye or an unfortunate mole in an awkward spot, like the ear or armpit. For Paradise Cove, the 3,848-square-foot blemish is in a particularly obvious place: smack-dab in the middle of the cove, and right on the sand.

This blemish, of course, is a house.

For a few big reasons, this house is a Paradise Cove anomaly. The first is the architectural style: the mansard-roofed, Asian-influenced faux-chateau is jarringly out of place amid a sea of contemporary mansions. And the color! The house is painted a sinister shade we shall call “dungeon charcoal”.

But the main reason this place attracts attention is because it has been abandoned — or at least neglected — for many years. Since shortly after the turn of the century, apparently. And a neglected mansion surrounded by $60 million estates is a very unusual thing. Thus, the home has garnered fame (or is it infamy?) which outstrips even that of its celebrity-owned neighbors.

Adding to the intrigue, the spooky house has an (empty) underground bank vault and was abandoned with a whole sea of belongings inside: children’s toys, old receipts, various documents, even pieces of artwork. All left to (potentially) rot, as if the family’s exit was sudden and unexpected.

A quick search on YouTube reveals there are a whole slew of popular videos filmed at this house, all taken by explorers or curious lookie-loos. At least one of the vids sports millions of views.



Before we proceed, a quick word from our sponsors. Yolanda should not need to say this, but we strongly advise that y’all do not trespass on this property. Although it is “abandoned” in the sense that nobody lives there, it is still owned by an individual — and that individual is very much alive and last year paid nearly $14,000 in property taxes for this pad. Trespassing could get you into a heap of trouble, and don’t expect Yolanda to bail your sorry backside outta the clink. We have enough problems just getting our monthly support check from our miserly third ex-husband. Old bastard…

In any case, the home is inaccessible (to the public) by car. Located in an exclusive gated community, the .54-acre property is additionally tucked behind a long gated driveway that it shares with one other house — a $21.5 million snazzy contemporary confection owned and occupied by tennis legend John McEnroe and his longtime wife, former rocker Patty Smyth.

So what is the backstory here?

Yolanda wishes she knew more, but we do have some info. Public records indicate the garish residence was built in 1979 and sold in 1993 to Gordon Getty, the San Francisco-based multi-billionaire oil heir whose family are the benefactors behind the Getty. Our boy is the son of the late tycoon J. Paul Getty, who was at one point the richest man on the globe. Seen the recent film All The Money in the World? Yep, that movie was based on this clan.

In 1999, the mostly low-profile Mr. Getty made headlines ’round the globe when it was revealed he had a mistress named Cynthia Beck and three illegitimate daughters — Nicolette, Kendalle, and Sarah — living in Los Angeles, though his second family had long been an open secret among S.F. high society.

Today, nearly 20 years later, 84-year-old Mr. Getty remains married to Ann Gilbert, his wife of 50+ years. The couple continue to reside primarily at their longtime home in SF’s Pacific Heights neighborhood, and are still society royalty. Mrs. Getty recently showed off her Christmas decorations to Veranda.

As for Ms. Beck, the “second family” scandal broke when her daughters went to court seeking a name change and claims to a portion of the Getty family trust. Shortly after that — in September 1999 — Mr. Getty quietly “sold” the Malibu pad to Ms. Beck for just over $3 million. Within a few years, the house entered its current state of neglect. Despite the lack of maintenance, however, we believe the teardown property is worth at least $12 million in today’s hyper real estate market.

Now in her 60s, Ms. Beck remains enigmatic. Yolanda does not even have a photo of this lady, nor do we know much about her three adult daughters — all of whom are in their late 20s or early 30s.

Why Ms. Beck has allowed the Malibu property to decay is also unclear. But one thing is patently obvious, thanks to records: she presides over a substantial property portfolio and owns at least twenty LA-area homes. Like the Malibu pad, many of them appear to be vacant and sadly neglected. And in fact, that Malibu house is not even her most expensive abandoned mansion.

In August 1993 — just four months after he bought the Malibu pad — Gordon Getty paid exactly $4 million for a historic 3-acre estate in prime East Gate Bel Air. Our gurl Ms. Beck then paid him just over $5.5 million in 1999 to acquire title to the baronial compound.

Floraves, as the hilltop mansion was originally christened, was built in 1924 by wealthy author Gene Stratton-Porter. It was the very first mansion ever built in a massive undeveloped plot of land that became modern-day Bel Air, though Mrs. Stratton-Porter never actually lived in the home — she died shortly prior to its completion.

According to our pal Wiki Pedia, the property originally consisted of a English Tudor-style 22-room mansion with 11,000-square-feet of living space. There was also a four car garage and servants’ quarters, a greenhouse, outdoor ponds, pool, and a tennis court. However, recent aerial shots (like the one above) show that the tennis court and ponds are long gone. And the whole place is in a sad state of disrepair. It also appears to Yolanda that there may be two or more old cars (?) rusting away in the driveway.

Although the house is only a two-minute drive to Sunset Boulevard, it is located on one of the most private properties in all of lower Bel Air: secreted away at the end of a tiny lane and hidden from the neighbors via overgrown foliage. The entire place is now surrounded by a hideous barbed-wire fence.

Speaking of the neighbors, this place is practically next door to Beyonce & Jay-Z’s $88 million mega-compound — in fact, this property can only be accessed by driving right behind the sports court on their estate. (Don’t tell Bey & Jay, but Ms. Beck’s abandoned estate is actually larger than theirs, at least in terms of acreage.)

Yolanda would estimate that this Bel Air estate — even in its current derelict condition — is worth at least $20 million. And probably more. After all, Hong Kong heiress Karen Lo recently paid almost $18 million for a significantly smaller and less private vacant lot around the corner.

Wait, there’s more. Ms. Beck owns a two-parcel Santa Monica estate, which she also purchased from Mr. Getty in 1999.

The fortified compound is now locked up tight and features a decrepit old 3,272-square-foot home. Like the other properties, this place has been vacant for years. Land value here is probably at least $5 million, given the superb location and generous (for the area) .54-acre lot.

Also taking up space in Ms. Beck’s portfolio is a two-story house in the bustling Westwood neighborhood — just east of the 405 freeway. Like all the other residences, this ol’ gurl looks as though she has seen better days.

Given that Ms. Beck has so many unoccupied homes in LA, Yolanda initially thought she may have skipped town entirely. Although we’ve heard that she lives primarily in Europe these days — Spain, to be specific — she also still has a part-time residence in Bel Air.

In January 2001, Ms. Beck paid a non-celebrity couple $2,600,000 for a .89-acre spread located on one of Bel Air’s busiest streets. It is here, y’all, where she reportedly continues to reside. Although the 1930 residence is very large — 8,229-square-feet, according to records — it is not really a mansion. More like a sprawling ranch house.

Of note about this Bel Air house is that Ms. Beck was involved in a lengthy — and extremely costly — disagreement with her next-door neighbors, apparently stemming from a boundary dispute. In 2009, after a protracted eight-year legal war that ultimately ended with a jury trial, Ms. Beck was ordered to pay the couple next door a whopping $6 million in compensatory and punitive damages. Two years later, her neighbors won another award against her for attorneys’ costs totaling $446,302.21.

Yikes! Sounds like one heck of a disagreement. (Ironically, it would have been cheaper for Ms. Beck to just buy her neighbors’ house.)

Anyhoo. In addition to these five uber-expensive homes, records show that Ms. Beck owns at least fifteen smaller LA properties — most of them located in or around the up-and-coming neighborhood of Echo Park, on LA’s east side. Many of those structures also appear to be in various stages of disrepair — yet her total property portfolio is still worth $50 or $60 million.

Yolanda wrote all this because abandoned mansions have always fascinated your gurl. Why someone would neglect a property that could easily fetch a small fortune on the open market is a mystery to us. Sure, we understand these estates can cost major moolah to maintain. But why continue to pay property taxes — Ms. Beck’s total tax bill is well into the six figures each and every year — for unused homes?

The real estate market has never been hotter, kiddies. By selling the Malibu and big Bel Air spread alone, Ms. Beck would have enough cash to buy a retirement home in Beverly Park, LA’s most exclusive gated community. Easily.

But for whatever reason, she will not sell. And so the infamy persists, and the gossip continues.
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