Mold and sewage plague South L.A. apartments even after inspections, tenants say

Sabrina Dolan is convinced that her apartment is poisoning her. In the last four months, tenants have filed nearly two dozen complaints with the L.A. code enforcement department about Chesapeake Apartments, a 425-unit complex that stretches multiple blocks across from Dorsey High School in the Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw area. “I’ve not run across a building that has been in this much neglect,” said Delgado, whose organization has been working with Chesapeake tenants to address safety concerns. “Even though there may be times where the results are not perfect in terms of what they do, we believe there’s a system set up to try to rectify these problems.” The World War II-era, barracks-style Chesapeake Apartments sit on 17 acres along Obama Boulevard and Rodeo Lane, with nearly two dozen two-story buildings constructed around courtyards and open-air parking lots. “It’s stressful, hard and frustrating.” Sandra Mendoza, a spokeswoman for the city housing department, said inspectors identified 71 violations during a required assessment in November that were all corrected by the time the complex was re-inspected in January.