Fort Worth's Central Motel Demolished: 591 Police Responses Since 2024 and 123 Code Violations in Its 22 Rooms
FORT WORTH, Tarrant County, Texas — The Central Motel on East Lancaster Road was demolished on October 28. The motel, well known for criminal activity, was torn down by its owner, who worked with Fort Worth officials on the demolition plan and paid for it, as the city targeted the property through its Nuisance Enforcement Task (NET) Force, which identifies crime-ridden, resource-draining properties and pursues legal action to shut them down.
Police have responded to the Central Motel 591 times since 2024, including murder and arson in 2025, 80 narcotics cases, multiple weapons offenses, aggravated assaults and prostitution offenses. A Code Compliance inspection revealed 123 code violations in its 22 rooms, and noted substandard building conditions and safety concerns.
The city sued the owner, Haribhai Patel, in July, and dropped the lawsuit as a result of the demolition. Residents slowed down to watch, and one was seen clapping. 'There were multiple murders here, lots of drug activity, people committing a lot of crimes,' said Donna Nickerson, who owns a business nearby. Pastor Vernon Elisher, who witnessed the demolition, said he turned around 'because I want to thank the person who made this happen.'
Source: GSM News
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 4.0
