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West Covina resident alleges racial harassment by neighbor he identifies as city treasurer
Summary
Homeowner Oscar Morales told the council he and his family have been targeted and that a neighbor used racist language during a recent confrontation; he asked the council for help but no formal council action was recorded.
Oscar Morales told the City Council that his family has felt “targeted and harassed” by a neighbor, whom he said he understands is serving as the city’s elected treasurer, and that the behavior included what he described as an incident of racist language on April 20, 2025.
Why it matters: Morales said the incident crossed from a neighbor dispute into what he called targeted harassment and discrimination by a local elected official. He asked the council for help to ensure his family can live peacefully in their home.
Morales described a sequence of code‑enforcement interactions beginning shortly after his family moved into the home. He said code enforcement inspected, he complied with permits and inspections, and that subsequent, unrelated follow‑up complaints appeared to arise from his neighbor’s actions. Morales said a Code Enforcement Officer, Tom Stapleton, inspected the property and that subsequent city correspondence followed.
On April 20, which Morales said was both Easter Sunday and his daughter’s birthday, he said a neighbor confronted guests on the public grass and used an offensive slur: “oh, you effing Mexicans feel so entitled,” Morales told the council. Morales said he is not seeking special treatment but asked the council to support measures that would allow his family to feel safe in their neighborhood.
The council did not take action on Morales’s request during the meeting. Acting City Manager said staff would have the Public Safety Manager contact Morales to discuss the concerns.
No formal complaint outcome or investigation result was reported to the council during the Aug. 5 meeting.
