I-TEAM EXCLUSIVE: Meet the man behind controversial Thornton State Beach fence in Daly City
DALY CITY, Calif. (KGO) -- Defiant words from the man who installed a controversial fence, blocking public trails to Thornton Beach State Park in Daly City.
"Not only is that fence not coming down, it's going to be replaced with a wrought iron fence. So, we don't have to worry about people cutting holes in it anymore," Luke Brugnara told the ABC7 Eyewitness News I-Team's Dan Noyes in an exclusive interview.
The controversy is reaching the boiling point right now. Daly City officials tell us they will take down the fence on Thursday. Noyes knows Brugnara well; he first interviewed him in jail in 2015. Now, Brugnara has shared video with us of a recent incident at Thornton Beach that led to his arrest.
The seven acres surrounded by fence right now at Thornton Beach State Park are owned by eight people. Real estate investor Luke Brugnara convinced one of them in November to give him their share, a deed for 1/24th interest and the ability to get more when two other owners pass away. Even though he controls such a small portion, Brugnara tells the I-Team that he has a right to fence all seven acres.
"Dude, it doesn't matter whether I own 1% or 20%. I have a right to protect my interests, and I have a right to protect the property," Brugnara said.
Brugnara's fence blocks trails to the beach that the public has used for generations, drawing outrage from hikers, dog-walkers, and others used to enjoying the views.
"I was confused by the fencing," hiker Stephanie Lucianovic said."I thought they were maybe fixing the trails or something, that it was dangerous."
RELATED: Judge orders arrest of man who put up fence, sign to block visitors at Daly City beach
The horse stable to the north has used that public right of way for trail rides down to the beach for more than a hundred years. They've had to change their route.
Zachary Leyden, owner of Ocean View Stables, said, "And it makes sense because you go through that and then it's a straight shot. Now, we have to do a little U-turn at the back of the property. It's still doable, but not as beautiful, not as convenient for the horses."
People have been fighting back with graffiti, "Free the land, end the greed," cutting holes in the fence, and confronting Brugnara face to face.
LUKE BRUGNARA: "That's like a felony and there's been a police report, and whoever cut the fence is going to be charged with a felony."
DOG WALKER: "That's great."
Brugnara gave the I-Team video showing tense exchanges - with his girlfriend, Yitong Emily Wen, joining in.
HIKER: "It's not ___ private property and you know it."
YITONG EMILY WEN: "Really? You should better do your homework. Do your homework."
On that same day, a couple accused Brugnara of saying, "If you get near the fence, I will shoot and kill you." And this sign startled them, "no trespassing, owner armed with 9mm gun". They called 911 and after police stopped Wen's car leaving the property, she admitted "she put up the sign." Officers noted that Wen was driving, Brugnara in the rear passenger seat, and a 9mm Glock in an unlocked case in the front passenger seat. They arrested Brugnara for felon in possession of a firearm and making threats.
"Oh, this is all this National Enquirer stupid ____," Brugnara said. "It's what it is. Okay, okay. I never threaten anybody, okay? I never threaten anybody. I don't even talk to that guy. This is all about the fence. Trying them, trying to use some weak, you know, scheme to get the fence down, which is legal."
RELATED: Thornton State Beach goers in Daly City upset after fence put up, blocking access
His arrest at Thornton Beach has triggered action in a federal case. Brugnara is headed to trial in June on charges he defrauded the government's pandemic-relief programs. He's accused of lying about the size of his company, the number of employees, its payroll, and receiving $422,000. Prosecutors in that case say his arrest at Thornton Beach shows he's a danger to the public who's in a downward spiral, and the judge issued a bench warrant for his arrest last week.
DAN NOYES: "There's a bench warrant. Are you going to turn yourself in?"
LUKE BRUGNARA: "I'm, I'm, I'm not aware of any bench warrant. That's the surprise, I guess, of the day."
Brugnara declined my request for an on-camera interview, but the I-Team caught up to his girlfriend over the weekend at Thornton Beach.
Dan Noyes asked, "You understand that Luke is wanted, right? That he's wanted for arrest. Is he going to turn himself in?"
No answer. We first interviewed Luke Brugnara in jail during another of his legal troubles - his 2015 conviction in an $11 million art fraud case.
LUKE BRUGNARA: "I'm completely innocent of the claims against me, and I'm happy to speak to anybody about the truth."
DAN NOYES: "But you've been convicted and you're still insisting that you've done nothing wrong."
LUKE BRUGNARA: "I've absolutely done nothing wrong."
After a meeting with his lawyer at the Federal Building, Brugnara was able to escape. We obtained the surveillance video of him walking past U.S. Marshals, running down the street, and ducking into a car dealership. The FBI arrested him within the week, and he served seven years in prison.
Now, the fight over the fence continues. This past weekend, someone knocked down several panels of chain link and opened the entrance to the trails.
DAN NOYES: "I wonder what you think about the fencing having gone down overnight."
DAVID CANEPA, SAN MATEO COUNTY SUPERVISOR: "I think it's incredible. I think it's glorious. I think it's people really saying you can't block beach access."
The I-Team got a call Saturday evening that Yitong Emily Wen was trying to replace the fencing and questioned her as she left the property.
Noyes asked, "The city says you aren't supposed to put up these fences right? You understand that, don't you?"
Again, no answer. Daly City officials tell me they will totally remove the fencing on Thursday. They could put a lien against the property for the cost.
Brugnara remains defiant. "Whether I drop dead tomorrow, the fence is never coming down, okay? So, make that clear. Fence is never coming down okay. Never coming down. Now, there may be some soccer fields in there. There may be a football field or a baseball field that I mean put there. But the fence is still going to be there. Okay. So get that, get that straight ."
One final note, Brugnara is facing eviction for disruptive behavior from this single room occupancy hotel in Chinatown. The owner says Brugnara hasn't paid rent for five months, that he harasses other tenants and leaves trash everywhere. I saw this mound on the balcony outside his room.
Brugnara is losing his lawyer in the federal case who filed a motion to be removed, but the reasons are under seal. We'll be watching what happens at Thornton Beach.
