BEAUMONT, Texas — The owner of a downtown Beaumont Hotel is moving forward with plans to transform the building following recent break-ins and vandalism to the abandoned property.
Beaumont Police believe 30 teenagers broke into Hotel Beaumont Monday night and left "significant damage" to the vacant building. The historic hotel was built in 1922 and sold to Mack Patel in 2019.
Officers believe the motivation for the crime came from a viral video posted on TikTok in late March of 2023.
"We are aware of this challenge," Beaumont Police Department Sgt. Thomas Swope said. "It's been out for about a week now pretty much for people to break into this hotel and explore it."
The video has garnered more than 12,000 views on TikTok since it was posted according to police. The TikTok video has also been shared on Facebook.
In the video, a person is seen breaking into the hotel and exploring.
Louisiana hotel developer and owner of Hotel Beaumont, Mack Patel, told 12News he is planning to press charges.
Patel bought the building in 2019 and has plans to turn the property in to a Hampton Inn hotel.
"We have architects, engineers, everybody engaged. They've been working on plans since January of 2022 I believe or later part of 2021," Patel said.
When Patel purchased the hotel, he envisioned keeping the old-world charm while adding a modern twist.
"A lot of rooms have a step to get into the tub. The size of the bathroom is so small it's smaller than someone closet at home," Patel said.
Patel says by the end of 2023, renovations will begin on the property, but between the COVID-19 Pandemic and a continuous strings of vandalism, he's hit a few road blocks.
"Every time we secure one area they go find another area," Patel said.
Police do not believe any of the teens who broke into the hotel Monday are from Beaumont, but they do believe the teens are from other parts of Southeast Texas. Officers were able to take a few members of the large group into custody but many got away.
"I got call from dispatchers, I thinks he was on the line with the police officer she's the one who called me and asked what do I want to do with the people who broke in I say I want to press charges," Patel said.
Through a broken window you can see walls covered in graffiti and trash covering the floors.
Patel tells 12News, he's had enough.
"We use to use plywood before and that's what they've been tearing and breaking so this time we're going to use the metal," Patel said.
Director of Development with Beaumont Main Street Carol Gary prefers to think of what this hotel once was.
"The black cat and the kit cat club was a happening place," Gary said.
Seeing the abandoned property now, pains her.
"We got to stop this damage and protect these historical building the few ones we have remaining," Gary said.
The Beaumont Hotel housed seniors until 2011 and sat vacant until Patel purchased it in 2019.
There is a need for additional city ordinances and the enforcement of existing ordinances that address vacant buildings in downtown, Gary told 12News in response to the break in.
"Trespass warning accounts for the majority of the public order crimes in the downtown area over the last ten years," she said.
Beaumont Main Street recently submitted a "preservation proposal" to the City of Beaumont that, in part, addresses vacant buildings like the Hotel Beaumont she said.
The non-profit organization lobbies to preserve Beaumont's downtown according to its website.
RELATED: Owner of Hotel Beaumont planning to press charges following break-in involving multiple teenagers
Sgt. Swope said the Beaumont Police Department is only two blocks away from Hotel Beaumont, so it became quickly apparent that something was going on.
“You know downtown on a Monday night is relatively quiet,” Sgt. Swope said. “When officers pass by and see 20 to 30 cars in this area, they are going to see what’s going on and investigate.”
Police believe the teenagers smashed a window to get inside.
"Our officers were patrolling this area and noticed the damage here to the building," Sgt. Swope said.
Comments posted under the video show TikTok users expressing interest in breaking in. These fueled area leaders suck as Council Mike Getz to react.
"It's appalling," Councilman Getz said. "It's disturbing, and we have got to figure out ways to disincentive these kids from acting in this manner. It's terrible."
Police plan to increase the number of officers patrolling around the hotel to deter people from trespassing.
In August 2016 a man died in the alleyway between the hotel and the Jefferson Theatre after falling from an "elevated position" at the hotel according to investigators at the time.
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