A building in Crown Heights, known by some as the “house of horrors” – because of the homicides and abuse that occurred there – went up in flames Wednesday morning.
LeGrand reportedly lured young girls and women to his home with promises of money and alcohol, and then forced them to panhandle for money, oftenOn Wednesday afternoon, as neighbors passed by the four-story townhome, where workers were building scaffolding, many expressed fear about discussing the family.
Several locals who grew up near the house told Gothamist they did not want to speak on the record, because the family was powerful in the city. Others said the family’s influence and notoriety kept the area safe — no one looking for trouble dared to cross their path, they said. Some expressed relief that the building burned down.
Tracey, 57, who only shared her first name out of concern for her safety, has lived in Crown Heights most of her life. She remembers being warned to stay away from 222 Brooklyn Avenue when she was a child, and having to strategize her route to avoid walking too close to the LeGrand house on her way to her church, which is across the street.
“I just was like, OK, I will listen to my family and stay away like I'm supposed to because I didn't wanna go missing,” Tracey said. “I didn't know to the extent of what was truly, truly happening in there — it's all hearsay, I should say.” Lauren Meyer has lived in the area for five years, often walking her dog past the building. She said she noticed people living inside on and off, even while it was boarded up, but did not know who those people were.“It's just spooky,” Meyer said. “It's just always been kind of like… very desolate looking, in an area that typically there aren't that many places that are empty like that and boarded up.
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