SAN MARCOS, Texas — Amanda Perez has lived in the Rio Vista neighborhood in San Marcos for 31 years and said her home is something her parents have worked very hard for.
However, in the last few years, it's a place she and her mother do not feel safe in after she said there has been an uptick in crime and homelessness. Attempted break-ins to their house and car, as well as trespassing, are some of the incidents they have encountered – and they said it has not gotten better.
Perez shared surveillance video with KVUE of a man she said is unhoused who walked onto their property claiming he was there to cut a tree and work on a BMW – a vehicle Perez said the family does not own. Other incidents she described were someone trying to break their back door and consistently trying to access their truck.
"We have the proof. We have cameras everywhere. Everybody has cameras in their yard, but that's not going to stop them," Perez said.
The frustration doesn't end there. Perez explained she has called San Marcos police every week, but no action has been taken.
"That's their job, to protect and serve. They're not. I understand that they got other stuff to be doing, but what is it that we have to do for them to at least – all we want is to make their presence known," Perez said.
Perez added that Councilmember Matthew Mendoza lives in the neighborhood and has raised concerns to the City of San Marcos about the string of incidents. KVUE reached out to Mendoza on Wednesday.
Mendoza said he has seen an uptick in people who are unhoused in the area and has talked to several of his neighborhoods who have dealt with thefts.
Currently, he and the City are working to have an open line of communication with nonprofit organizations to sort out a solution.
"We have moved in the right direction lately," Mendoza said in an email.
KVUE also reached out to the City and the SMPD about the situation and if there were any statistics to provide about crime rates within the last few years. City officials said that information wouldn't be available until next week and had no comment until that data was in.