‘Somebody is going to get killed’: College parties in Durham County field prompt neighbors' concerns

On the weekends, a 30-acre field in northern Durham County transforms into an unlikely purpose: A venue for hundreds of Duke students to party.

"It's a rural road. Somebody is going to get hit. Somebody is going to get killed," said Laura Hays, who lives across from the property on Rougemont Road in Bahama. "Does it really take an injury or something horrible happening for our officials to wake up and stop this?"

Hays and her husband, John, say there had been four parties this year already, as of March. 

They describe the parties as lasting from day into night, with as many as 500 students who are either bused in, or drive in themselves. They say the students sometimes wander down the rural roads in the dark, and trespass and urinate on neighboring properties. 

Neighbors provided videos and photos to WRAL Investigates from the parties, showing loud music, large crowds, and a U-Haul full of drinks.

"They are extremely loud," Laura Hays said. "It’s underage drinking."

 "As a psychologist, I’m concerned about the underage drinking," John Hays said. "I think it’s only a matter of time before someone is either going to be hit by a car, or, who knows? They may pass out due to intoxication. We’re concerned about their safety and their welfare."

Adjacent to the property that hosts the parties is an animal sanctuary, Laila's Legacy and HOPE Animal Refuge.

"We're seeing our worst nightmare come true," said owner Kim Kreem. 

Kreem said the noise is so stressful to her animals, which range from pigs to dogs to llamas, that she sometimes has to sedate them during the parties.

"There are 500 strangers coming into our neighborhood. And they're walking through his property onto mine, into our yard, and they're in our animal enclosures," she said.

The neighbors tell WRAL they have called the Sheriff's Office during the parties, asking them to enforce the County noise ordinance, which prohibits "any unreasonably loud and disturbing noise." They say they've been disappointed with the response.

Yet the Durham County Sheriff's Office claims, in an email to WRAL Investigates, that "deputies spoke with the host of the event when they responded and asked them to lower their music and they complied on each occasion."

WRAL Investigates asked the county what it is doing about the parties. 

Landus Robertson, planning manager for the Durham City-County Planning Department, said the department, "issued a notice of violation to the property owners for operating an outdoor event venue on a residentially zoned property without a minor special use permit. The property owners have contacted us and stated that they will suspend all outdoor venue activities until the appropriate approvals are obtained."

Robertson added the owners met in early April with the Planning Department about pursuing a minor special use permit, but have not yet officially filed for one. 

According to tax records, the owners of the Rougemont Road property are Gustavo Angel and Edna De Luna. 

Reached by phone, De Luna told WRAL Investigates that they "didn't know that we needed a permit." She said now that they are aware of that, they are exploring the possibility of pursuing one.

"We're not trying to do anything illegal in any way, shape or form," she added.

De Luna would not say how much she and Angel charge the students to rent their property, and did not apologize for the parties.

"It's a private party," she said. "It's 30 acres. We thought it would be OK."

 De Luna dismissed concerns about student safety.

"You can get hurt in any situation," she said. "There's always risks in everything. There's always security present, they're checking IDs, and they always have buses."

WRAL Investigates contacted Duke University, asking if they were aware of the parties and if they were taking steps to stop them. 

In a statement, Elinor Landess, Director of Off Campus and Community Life, said they do not support this behavior.

"We have created several programs to encourage students to host parties on campus,” Landess wrote. “Student groups can reserve a tent on Central Campus to host large-scale events that would otherwise be too large to host elsewhere on campus."

Landess added that the alcohol policy now allows student fee money to be spent on alcohol for students age 21 and older, to "encourage students to gather socially on campus."

The neighbors worry not just about their situation, but that, with no swift legal consequences for the property owners, the parties will keep happening in their area and elsewhere.

"We feel like we've been failed by all the entities that are supposed to support you when you have a problem like this," Kreem said.

"It's coming to your neighborhood, too," Laura Hays added. "They move around."