There’s been this weird thing on Google Earth that’s got everyone talking. Some random ‘HELP’ signs showed up in an empty lot in downtown LA, and now it’s all over the internet. People are freaking out, trying to figure out what’s going on.
Here’s what we’ve learned so far.
People spotted strange signs on Google Earth

Usually, people use Google Earth to check out their friend’s place or find the bar they were at last weekend. Right?
Recently, some folks found something way stranger — ‘HELP’ signs in a random lot in LA.
It went viral after someone posted it on X, and suddenly, everyone was talking about it.
The signs included words like ‘HELP’ and ‘trafico’

When people zoomed in on the images, they saw ‘HELP’ written all over the dirt, along with other words like ‘trafico’ and ‘LAPD.’
Conspiracy theories quickly spread online
Once the post went viral, conspiracy theories started popping up everywhere. People couldn’t stop guessing what was behind the signs, and the whole thing started to get pretty wild.
The LAPD investigated the area
With all the buzz online, the cops had to get involved. The LAPD said they responded to a call about something fishy happening near the 101 Freeway and Mission Road on January 26.
Police found no evidence of criminal activity
“Upon arrival, officers conducted a thorough investigation and found no evidence of any criminal activity or threat in the area,” a statement to the LA Times explained.
The signs were from 2023, not recent
The signs everyone was looking at were from 2023, not something new. The LAPD also said they’d inform Union Pacific Railroad about the situation.
A local news crew confirmed the signs were still there
But the whole thing wasn’t over yet. KTLA, a local news station, sent a helicopter there on January 29 to check it out. They saw that the signs were still on the ground.
A local claims a homeless man created the signs
One local person even went down there to see what was up. They talked to some people who said that a homeless guy named Jose was behind all those ‘HELP’ signs.
X user ‘LAguy310’ said, “OK so apparently Jose is writing all the HELP signs.” According to them, Jose’s been making these signs for years.
Online users wanted the FBI to investigate
One X user wrote, “Has anyone figured out what is happening in LA with these HELP signs, keep hearing tons of different story’s seems very concerning? @FBI looking into this?”
The LAPD shut down the conspiracy theories
Of course, the LAPD had to step in and shut down the wild theories. They said, “We’ve had several different contacts with the individual you speak of. He has refused housing or a mental health evaluation.”
Union Pacific confirmed the individual’s actions
Union Pacific also backed up what the cops said.
They told LADbible, “A man trespassed on Union Pacific and other nearby properties to repeatedly create these misleading messages. We do know the individual that creates these, does so on neighboring properties as well.”
The company confirmed no danger was involved

Union Pacific also clarified that there was no actual danger to anyone. So, despite all the scary stories online, it looks like it’s just a weird thing this guy’s been doing for a while and it’s not some huge crisis.