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Ruined Hotel Suffers More Crime
Desert Hot Springs, CA – Slowly falling into ruin, the Pink Flamingo Hotel continues to suffer further indignity. Recently local police caught thieves removing copper pipe from the long abandoned hotel. Stephen Fields and his girlfriend Harmony Cser were arrested on September 7 following a call of suspicious behavior.
When officers arrived they found a bag of cut copper pipe freshly abandoned inside the hotel. Soon thereafter they saw Stephen Fields running away and the chase began. Finding Fields hiding in some bushes, they took him into custody without incident. Further investigation led them to his girlfriend, Harmony Cser, who was also involved in the theft.
Fields was found to have an outstanding felony warrant, charging domestic violence. He has a long history of domestic violence arrests as well as arrests for theft and vandalism. Cser has a long history of drug and theft arrests, and is currently on felony probation for drug charges.
The hotel has a checkered history beginning several years ago when the city gave $250,000 to Brian Boscoby to finance his scheme of renovating the 33-room hotel (with restaurant) on Pierson Boulevard. Boscoby, who had no previous hotel construction experience, promised he had the backing of several millions in additional financing, a claim that was never proven to the city nor substantiated by our investigation.
Using the city’s money, instead of hiring licensed contractors, Boscoby employed illegal alien construction workers who went right to work despite the fact Boscoby had no building permit. Although the city had in their agreement with Boscoby a provision requiring competitive wages, the city had no means to enforce the provision nor did it attempt to address this issue.
A fire caused by sloppy construction initiated the first of two “red tag” stop-work orders. Within months Boscoby abandoned the project leaving rooms gutted with windows removed and wall framing exposed. Wild animals and squatters are now living in the hotel and the gutted building remains an open invitation for copper theft and other crime.
An investigation turned up no evidence the city has a note securing the property to guarantee repayment of the $250,000. The hotel is now up for sale at an asking price of $850,000. It is not known how many millions are needed for construction to correct Boscoby’s project and make the hotel as viable a business as it was prior to Boscoby’s and the city’s involvement.
From the real estate listing: Mineral hot spring Hotel and Spa is vacant and waits for a new improvement developer to resume a mineral water hot spring Spa and Hotel. 33 guest room hotel is 19,000 sq.ft within 77,972 sq.ft.(1.79 Acres) land. It has 2 large pools, 4 Jacuzzis on 20,000 sq.ft. A major renovation was interrupted while the original structure still stands.
FOR MORE DESERT ENTERTAINMENT VISIT DESERT VALLEY STAR WEEKLY
Founder and publisher of and one of the writers for the Desert Star Weekly, the desert’s only alternative independent weekly newspaper. Dean wrote, published and sold ads for his first independent newspapers in 1969 in high school and has been writing ever since. Art Kunkin, then publisher of the LA Free Press and now of Joshua Tree, was then and remains now his inspiration and a weekly columnist in the Star. While Dean’s “cactus thorns” are sharp and pointed, he has a passion for art, music, good food and healthy living. see DesertStarWeekly.com for more.
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Domestic violence. Makes sense he would impliment his girlfriend. I can hear it now…”but mom, you don’t understand love…”
No problem the city can invest in a Ziggy Marley concert and make their money back. OOPS
29 should be taking notes.
H2 can you break down the exchange rate? How many pounds of copper does it take to buy an 8 Ball?
How much you got?
I guess I walked into that one.