- Google Maps users recently noticed an assortment of help messages written out on the ground in Los Angeles.
- The messages sparked fears of human trafficking as some said “LAPD,” “FBI” and Trafico.”
- A social media user looked into the messages and was told they were being written by a homeless man.
Google Maps has transformed how we drive and it has spawned communities dedicated to looking for odd or amusing things. While most of these are lighthearted, a number of troubling messages were recently discovered on a plot of land in Los Angeles.
Located at the intersection of Cesar Chavez Avenue and Mission Road, the messages were spelled out in apparent construction debris and read “HELP,” “LAPD,” and “Trafico.” There are also signs that appear to spell out “Federal,” “FBI,” and something related to terrorism.
More: Google Maps Sends Drivers On Detour From Hell, Nearly 100 Get Trapped On Muddy Road
If you zoom out, you’ll get a bird’s-eye view of the ‘Help’ messages.
Given the troubling words and close proximity to Mexico, many people believed the incident was related to human trafficking. Others feared that people had been kidnapped and held at that location against their will.
X user LAguy310 looked into the incident and noted the location was in a “very bad neighborhood.” He eventually talked to a woman who claimed the messages were being written by a guy named Jose. She described him as a homeless man who needs help himself.
This was echoed by a second woman who confirmed a guy named Jose was always putting messages out there. This reportedly goes back years and no one knows why he’s doing it.
So instead of being something sinister or alarming, this appears to be a case of a bored homeless person with a compulsion to write messages out on the ground.