CBS Sacramento: Calif. Homeless Found Living in Furnished Caves 20 Feet Below Street Level

APODACA I ve covered ░░░░░░░░ lot of homeless stories ░░░░░░░░ the past but I ░░░░░░░░ never seen such elaborate ░░░░░░░░ for encampments It starts ░░░░░░░░ these makeshift steps that ░░░░░░░░ about 20 feet down ░░░░░░░░ to where these caves ░░░░░░░░ hidden You can t ░░░░░░░░ see them from up ░░░░░░░░ and that s likely ░░░░░░░░ they went undetected for ░░░░░░░░ long Clip starts APODACA ░░░░░░░░ over Hidden homeless caves ░░░░░░░░ along the Tuolumne River ░░░░░░░░ Modesto ROJAS These are ░░░░░░░░ stairs that they made ░░░░░░░░ get down to the ░░░░░░░░ APODACA Tracy Rojas took ░░░░░░░░ on the treacherous walk ░░░░░░░░ see the craters created ░░░░░░░░ Crater Avenue ROJAS And ░░░░░░░░ one of these were ░░░░░░░░ collapse it would be ░░░░░░░░ this whole side would ░░░░░░░░ down and into the ░░░░░░░░ APODACA 7 600 pounds ░░░░░░░░ trash That s how ░░░░░░░░ was cleared out by ░░░░░░░░ groups and police over ░░░░░░░░ weekend APODACA on camera ░░░░░░░░ this was fully furnished ░░░░░░░░ Yes There was bedding ░░░░░░░░ was little things up ░░░░░░░░ the on the mantel ░░░░░░░░ of a better word ░░░░░░░░ food items drugs guns ░░░░░░░░ had a hard time ░░░░░░░░ out how they got ░░░░░░░░ much stuff down in ░░░░░░░░ considering how hard it ░░░░░░░░ It s always hard ░░░░░░░░ get it up the ░░░░░░░░ and get it out ░░░░░░░░ voice over Chris Guptill ░░░░░░░░ was one of these ░░░░░░░░ who says they found ░░░░░░░░ caves in total but ░░░░░░░░ wasn t the group ░░░░░░░░ first time down here ░░░░░░░░ We really don t ░░░░░░░░ a a known solution ░░░░░░░░ to deal with it ░░░░░░░░ In November 2022 CBS ░░░░░░░░ took a tour of ░░░░░░░░ cleared out caves nowhere ░░░░░░░░ as elaborate as they ░░░░░░░░ now ROJAS You can ░░░░░░░░ the hooks on the ░░░░░░░░ where they had bottles ░░░░░░░░ things like that hanging ░░░░░░░░ APODACA Painted pictures and ░░░░░░░░ a makeshift fireplace This ░░░░░░░░ someone s home APODACA ░░░░░░░░ camera What do you ░░░░░░░░ needs to be done ░░░░░░░░ stop this from happening ░░░░░░░░ Well I think we ░░░░░░░░ more emphasis on on ░░░░░░░░ homeless I mean they ░░░░░░░░ at the point where ░░░░░░░░ can see Tori that ░░░░░░░░ re desperate APODACA voice ░░░░░░░░ We asked Modesto police ░░░░░░░░ the city what s ░░░░░░░░ done to prevent people ░░░░░░░░ coming back to cave ░░░░░░░░ The response they will ░░░░░░░░ to monitor the area ░░░░░░░░ connect the homeless to ░░░░░░░░ GUPTILL It was already ░░░░░░░░ proven that people are ░░░░░░░░ to dig those things ░░░░░░░░ So I don t ░░░░░░░░ filling them back in ░░░░░░░░ any material would work ░░░░░░░░ on camera The caves ░░░░░░░░ for now but the ░░░░░░░░ near the river feeling ░░░░░░░░ real sense of peace ░░░░░░░░ this problem ROJAS It ░░░░░░░░ a hazard for not ░░░░░░░░ the homeless who live ░░░░░░░░ there but the people ░░░░░░░░ are walking up here ░░░░░░░░ ends APODACA Erosion rising ░░░░░░░░ washing the belongings into ░░░░░░░░ river and contamination are ░░░░░░░░ concerns Rojas says that ░░░░░░░░ rangers are planning on ░░░░░░░░ up cameras around this ░░░░░░░░ and also signage making ░░░░░░░░ an official park that ░░░░░░░░ that they can have ░░░░░░░░ enforcement.”