"Houses from Hell" series spurs action from the DA

By Denise Eck, Liz Zamora

VIDEO:

The Shawnee County District Attorney is thanking 49 News for investigating houses from hell.

This year, we shined a light on abandoned properties and the crime that comes along with them.

And tonight, they're cracking down.

DA Robert Hecht filed 14 criminal and civil charges against property owners who refuse to clean things up.

He says our "Houses from Hell" series and the information provided are helping bring those cases to District Court.

When talking about those charges, Hecht specifically mentioned the efforts of 49 News Community Reporter Liz Zamora.

Zamora spent eight months uncovering troubles with abandoned properties.

This really started as a way to show how many abandoned properties there are in the Capital City and what their effect was on neighborhoods.

Now the District Attorney is using these cases as a way to force property owners to be held accountable for the crime and danger to the neighborhoods these buildings attract.

He sees the joint effort of his office, Channel 49 and the Codes Department as a catalyst for change in the Capital City.

We will follow these cases when they head to court. It could be as early as next month.

Currently in Topeka, KS

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