Who protects the women of LA from ‘zombies’ and stalkers? – Image for illustrative purposes only (Image credits: Pixabay)
Los Angeles – Women across the city now approach everyday outings with heightened caution amid a surge in harassment from homeless individuals described as “zombies.”[1][2] A heavily pregnant mother recently faced two such figures blocking her path during a walk with her toddler, while sorority sisters at UCLA hired private guards to counter relentless threats near campus. These episodes reveal vulnerabilities even in broad daylight and affluent areas like West Hollywood and Westwood.
Pregnant Mother Trapped in Broad Daylight
Kyrstin Munson, a tech executive expecting her second child, set out for a short walk near her West Hollywood home on a recent Sunday. Accompanied by her nearly two-year-old daughter, she headed toward a local market roughly two blocks from Sunset Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue.[2] What began as a routine stroll turned alarming when two homeless addicts, labeled “zombies” for their drugged state, suddenly blocked the sidewalk.
Munson found herself cornered between the men and heavy traffic on six lanes of road. Her heart raced in fight-or-flight mode as she prioritized her children’s safety, hurrying past the pair and returning home shaken. Earlier that day, she had navigated around multiple people passed out on sidewalks during medical appointments with her daughter.[2] That evening, she shared a photo from the scene on X, where her daughter approached the foreboding figures, captioning it: “10 months pregnant in LA, out for a ‘relaxing’ walk with my 2-year-old… and we get trapped by two Zombies.”[2]
The post quickly amassed over 367,000 views and drew widespread sympathy. Munson, a former neighborhood council representative, expressed fury at the city’s stretched resources. She declared a shift in her voting plans, moving away from past support for Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman toward mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt, stating, “My kids won’t grow up in this hellhole. Time for real change.”[2]
UCLA Sororities Deploy Private Patrols
Near UCLA’s Westwood campus, female students endured a pattern of intimidation that prompted decisive action. The Panhellenic Association, governing the university’s largest women’s organizations, initiated nightly private security patrols in early April along the 600 to 800 blocks of Hilgard Avenue, home to 10 sorority houses.[3] Guards from On Call Security Services cover the area from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., addressing reports of aggressive homeless men targeting women heading to and from classes.
Students described encounters with the same three men, aged 40 to 60, often lingering at a bus stop. They yelled vulgarities, issued lewd sexual remarks, and stared intensely, with one known as the “Hilgard Screamer” shouting randomly through the night – even at 7 a.m.[3] Catherine Nichley, 20, noted, “These men stare into your soul… it feels so creepy.” Others reported being followed for blocks, homeless individuals sleeping on sorority lawns, and a prior incident where a man banged on a house door with a knife.[3]
A meeting with UCLA Campus Police weeks earlier yielded little progress. Ani Hovanesian, 20, recounted officers seeming unaware and redirecting blame: “They kept turning it back on us like ‘why aren’t you calling 911.’” Panhellenic Council president Ella Hernand emphasized to the Daily Bruin that students should not bear extra costs for safety, recognizing limitations in police capacity while noting harassment reports have increased recently.[3]
Key Student Concerns on Sorority Row:
- Persistent staring and lewd comments from repeat offenders.
- Nightly screaming disrupting sleep and routines.
- Following incidents spanning multiple blocks.
- Infrequent campus police presence compared to fraternity areas.
- Group chats sharing real-time alerts on threats.
Past Attacks Underscore the Stakes
These recent troubles evoke the 2022 stabbing death of Brianna Kupfer, a 24-year-old UCLA graduate student working alone in a Hancock Park furniture store. Transient Shawn Laval Smith entered the Croft House uninvited and attacked her with a knife, leading to his conviction for murder with special circumstances in September 2024.[4] The case highlighted risks from wandering homeless individuals in everyday settings.
Citywide, women encounter reminders of vulnerability, such as repeated LA Metro announcements declaring sexual harassment intolerable. Yet such measures only underscore the prevalence of the issue, from Skid Row to upscale West Hollywood.[1] Homeless women themselves face compounded dangers, amplifying calls to address root causes like rampant drug use.
Pressure Builds for Street Cleanup
With police presence deemed insufficient on LA’s west side, women increasingly fund their own protections. Munson’s viral account and the sororities’ patrols signal frustration with current policies. Sonja Shaw, a candidate for California state superintendent, criticized state and city leadership, attributing the chaos to “soft-on-crime policies that coddle vagrants.”[3]
Despite prominent female officials at various government levels, the status quo persists. Observers urge a focus on human impacts over abstract discussions of crime and homelessness. Cleaning the streets emerges as an urgent priority before more lives hang in the balance.
Women in Los Angeles refuse to accept fear as routine. Their stories demand accountability and swift reforms to restore safe passage for all.
