Glenn W. O'Brien in a Feb. 18, 2013, mug shot. Courtesy Colorado Springs Police Department.
Weeds, stained and rotting plywood and rusty scaffolding surround the Joseph O'Brien house at 715 N. 24th Street as seen in this July 23, 2013, photo. It has been condemned since 1973, when Richard Nixon was president. It was "Exhibit A" in the campaign for a blight ordinance in 2006 to give Colorado Springs Code Enforcement more authority to combat decaying buildings. Bill Vogrin / The Gazette
Colorado Springs Police Code Enforcment officers are taking action against Joseph O'Brien for the condition of this property on 19th Street, said Tom Wasinger, acting enforcement administrator. It is surrounded by weeds, junk cars, trash and other debris. It was the site of O'Brien Typesetting and Printing, a longtime westside business. Bill Vogrin / The Gazette
The Joseph O'Brien house at 715 N. 24th Street is shown in July 2002, on top, and in July 2013, bottom. It has been condemned since 1973, when Richard Nixon was president. It was "Exhibit A" in the campaign for a blight ordinance in 2006 to give Colorado Springs Code Enforcement more authority to combat decaying buildings.