The Los Feliz murder mansion, frozen in time since a tragic double murder-suicide in the 1960s, remains an enduring enigma in the neighborhood’s lore. On the fateful night of December 6, 1959, in a grand mansion nestled atop a Los Feliz hill in Los Angeles, Dr. Harold Perelson fatally struck his wife with a hammer and severely injured his 18-year-old daughter before ending his own life with a concoction of water, acid, and tranquilizer pills.
In the wake of the horrifying events, the Los Feliz murder mansion stood untouched and uninhabited for the next five decades, shrouded in silence and mystery.
A year following the tragic murder-suicide, the mansion found new owners in Emily and Julian Enriquez, who repurposed the 5,050-square-foot house solely for storage. Despite neighbors recalling the couple ferrying boxes to the mansion, they never witnessed them spending the night. In 1994, Rudy Enriquez inherited the property and, following his parents’ lead, he left the Perelsons’ original décor untouched and refrained from occupying the residence.
Local residents and intrepid visitors to the Perelson mansion have recounted their chilling encounters. Peering through the grimy windows reveals scenes frozen in time: a vintage television set, a Christmas tree, and purportedly, neatly-wrapped gifts. The furnishings, cloaked in layers of dust, remain unchanged, mirroring the exact tableau from that tragic December night.
Rudy Enriquez, now retired from his music management career, staunchly refuses to sell the property. However, he admits to regularly visiting to care for his two feline companions residing there. As the mansion’s exterior gradually succumbs to decay, community members have united to aid in its preservation.
While no formal invitations have been extended to explore the home, rumors abound of trespassers finding their way onto the property over time. Former neighbors recall witnessing individuals holding picnics in the backyard, and one intruder even claims to have been bitten by a black widow spider while attempting to gain entry, attributing the incident to the house being haunted. In response to such breaches, an alarm system has been installed, marking one of the few alterations made to the Perelsons’ former abode.
The precise motive behind Dr. Perelson’s heinous actions fifty years ago remains a perplexing mystery. Speculations range from financial troubles to unverified rumors of Dr. Perelson being secretly hospitalized. Although all three Perelson children survived the ordeal, they have largely remained absent from media coverage since.
An even greater mystery looms over why the current owner has maintained the scene of the crime virtually untouched since 1959. However, in December 2020, the house underwent a significant change as it was sold for 2.35 million to a real estate investor with intentions to renovate the property.