Investigators found altered door locks and detained several people at the Qubed Living motel on Rittiman Road.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — San Antonio police and multiple city departments executed an administrative warrant at a Northeast Side motel on Tuesday morning, Nov. 18, after what officials said were thousands of 911 calls tied to the property. The operation began around 9:30 a.m. at Qubed Living in the 4600 block of Rittiman Road and focused on code violations and public-safety hazards, according to police on scene.
The city-led intervention matters because it targets a location neighbors and officers say has strained emergency services and posed repeated safety risks. Police described the warrant as part of the Dangerous Assessment Response Team, or DART, a coordinated effort that brings code inspectors and social-service partners alongside officers. During the sweep, officers reported finding doors with exterior locks they said could indicate illegal confinement, prompting special victims detectives to interview potential victims as a human trafficking investigation gets underway. City officials also evaluated building, fire and health code compliance while police detained several people on outstanding felony warrants.
Shortly after dawn Tuesday, officers in protective gear staged near the motel’s interior breezeways, then began clearing rooms just before 9:30 a.m. Witness video and onsite briefings showed teams using a battering ram to breach doors and breaking windows on several units believed to be barricaded. Police also deployed small drones to check rooms before officers entered. Sgt. Washington Moscoso said the location had drawn thousands of calls in the past year for assaults, sexual assaults, fights and other disturbances. As rooms were cleared, officers encountered modified hardware on some units. “We observed locks mounted so they could be secured from the outside,” Moscoso said, adding that such alterations can be consistent with trafficking or unlawful restraint. Police did not say whether anyone was found locked inside those rooms during the initial sweep.
Officials said the motel has operated like an extended-stay despite zoning that does not allow it, and some tenants reported living there for months at a time. A resident, Andrew Pitts, who said he has stayed at the property since January, described steady late-night traffic and suspected prostitution. “All hours of the night,” Pitts said, standing near crime-scene tape as officers moved door to door. Another former guest, Natasha Washington, questioned the trafficking inference and said some locks appeared intended to keep intruders from entering vacant rooms. Alongside police, city agencies including Animal Care Services, the Development Services Department, Neighborhood & Housing Services, Metro Health, Human Services, the Fire Marshal and the City Attorney’s Office examined units and common areas for violations, animal issues and sanitation problems. The number of people detained during the operation was not immediately released.
Records and prior calls for service have made the property a frequent stop for officers, prompting the DART approach that city leaders use for nuisance locations. The motel sits just off Loop 410 near industrial lots and older apartment complexes. Neighbors nearby have complained for months about foot traffic through alleyways and reports of fights and loud disturbances, according to police accounts shared Tuesday. Fire inspectors checked alarms, extinguishers and egress routes while code officers documented structural issues, trash accumulation and potential unpermitted alterations. Police emphasized that the DART warrant is administrative and distinct from a criminal search warrant; it allows entry to verify ordinance compliance with police providing security for inspectors and outreach teams.
On the criminal side, investigators from the special victims unit began interviews to determine whether elements of human trafficking, sexual assault or unlawful restraint occurred inside the property. Police said several people wanted on felony warrants were taken into custody, but names and charges were not immediately available. Any trafficking-related charges, if filed, would come after interviews, forensic reviews of room conditions and electronic evidence, and consultations with prosecutors. City attorneys typically follow DART operations by issuing notices of violation and deadlines for repairs; in more severe cases, they can pursue abatement orders, fines or temporary closures. Officials did not say Tuesday whether the motel’s business license was at risk. Fire and health inspectors are expected to file their reports this week, which could trigger re-inspections and administrative hearings.
As the day wore on, crews taped off several sections of the building while outreach workers spoke with tenants about relocation and services. A few residents carried bags and bins to waiting cars, telling reporters they planned to find short-term lodging with relatives. In the parking lot, a man who gave only his first name, Carlos, said he watched officers sweep the second floor. “They went room by room,” he said. “Some people left earlier when they saw police show up.” Others said they welcomed the enforcement. “We just want it quiet and safe,” said Maria Lopez, who runs a nearby shop and described frequent disturbances spilling into her lot. The motel’s management did not immediately respond to questions left at the front office during the operation.
By late afternoon, police said interviews and code inspections were still underway at the Rittiman Road site. Officials expect to release an update once inspectors finalize reports and detectives finish initial victim and witness interviews. Any administrative actions or criminal charges stemming from Tuesday’s operation could be detailed later this week. The property remained under heightened police presence Tuesday evening as units rotated through for security.
Author note: Last updated November 20, 2025.