Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto announced on Tuesday that her office has filed a lawsuit against the owners and operator of the New Gage Motel in South L.A. in order to address issues related to prostitution and crimes taking place at the property.
Feldstein Soto is seeking a permanent injunction to “eradicate” alleged prostitution and violent criminal activity that has been occurring at this property since 2017, according to a statement from her office. The 16-unit motel, located at 6310 S. Figueroa Street, is situated along one of the state’s most notorious prostitution tracks known as the Figueroa corridor.
According to the city attorney’s office, the Figueroa corridor experiences a near-constant circulation of sex workers, customers, and traffickers. Feldstein Soto’s civil action aims to enjoin, abate, and prevent this nuisance as defined under California’s Red Light Abatement Law, the Public Nuisance Law, and the Unfair Competition Law.
“Prostitution and violence are thriving at the New Gage Motel, and this property has actively participated in and facilitated the sex trafficking operation that has dominated this corridor for far too long,” said Feldstein Soto in a statement. “The community has reached its limit, and today we are taking decisive action to put a stop to it.”
The complaint states that since at least 2017, the Los Angeles Police Department has conducted over a dozen vice investigations at the New Gage Motel, resulting in 16 arrests related to prostitution, including one case involving the sex trafficking of a minor.
As recently as last month, LAPD investigations have discovered that the motel continues to function as a hub for prostitution. Additionally, the property has been a magnet for violence and lawlessness, with armed robberies, assaults with deadly weapons, and brutal muggings taking place within the last four months alone.
In March 2022, in an effort to address these issues, prosecutors from the city attorney’s office and LAPD officers met with representatives from Rish Investments, the owner and operator of the motel.
Rajesh Patel, CEO of Rish Investments, and Hitandra Bhakta, CFO and secretary of the company, were requested to implement various physical and managerial measures to abate the nuisance, according to the city attorney’s office.
These requests included prohibiting hourly room rentals, installing a gate around the driveway to control access, installing security cameras in common areas with LAPD access, conducting daily security patrols, and hiring new management to enforce these regulations.
More than a year later, the owner and operator, which now includes Gazi Monirul Islam, who joined motel operations last year, have failed to implement or sustain most of these measures, according to the city attorney’s office. Criminal activity has also become more violent and volatile.
The city attorney’s lawsuit seeks injunctive relief and civil penalties against the defendants in order to change the way they manage and equip the property. Additionally, the lawsuit aims to prevent violations of the Unfair Competition Law at the property, based on the unlawful business practices employed to run the motel, and to impose civil penalties for these unlawful practices.
The litigation is being handled by deputy city attorneys in the newly established Public Rights Branch of the city attorney’s office. Feldstein Soto created the Public Rights Branch to protect and enforce the rights of California residents in various legal matters, including unfair or fraudulent business practices, consumer protection, environmental justice, nuisance abatement, and intellectual property.
According to a representative of Rish Investments, Patel was not available for comment.
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