While the city of LA promises to make it right with residents and business owners in this South LA neighborhood following last week's accidental fireworks explosion with the LAPD bomb squad, Jose Ponce says he's not holding his breath.
"They need to 'cause they literally messed everybody over," he said.
He was gathering some things from his family's embroidery business when we met him Thursday afternoon, the first day he says they could actually open, albeit the day spent cleaning more than anything else.
"Right now I'm barely gonna go do some shippings and I need to some prints because I have an order and it's still not going to come out on time because of all this," he said.
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At the same time, select families were being allowed back to their homes today to take stock of what's been damaged. City leaders say they hope to assist in repairs as soon as this evening, to possibly let people back home for good as soon as Friday.
"It's hard," said Kenia Prieto. "We're basically homeless right now."
That first night the family of five with one on the way says they were left to sleep in their car. The city of LA picked up their hotel tab and meals every day since.
"i just want those who are responsible to do right by my family," Prieto said.
Three homes have been red-tagged in the neighborhood and some 75 people were displaced.
Allowing them back for good will happen on a case-by-case basis depending on how much damage was done to their home.
