The tent was of course, Mercedes' home and in the middle of an especially bad heat wave, the Los Angeles Police Department decided to take it from her. As her companion explained it to me they said it was an eyesore and was on either public or private property (anything else would have been fine I guess). Consequently, it and all her possessions (except for her rosary beads) were confiscated.
There may be more to the story than this. If so, I'd like to hear about it.
Nonetheless, as of 9:45 this evening Mercedes is living and sleeping in an aluminum chair on the streets of LA.
[Some of you might remember Mercedes. I first put up this photo about six weeks ago.]
