A mother in Ladera Ranch, California, says she developed severe itching, a widespread rash and bruising after walking near an area where a common weedkiller had recently been sprayed — the latest flashpoint in a bitter fight between residents and their homeowners association over pesticide use in the Orange County community.
Jenny Granero, a mother of three and founder of the resident group Ladera Goes Organic, said she spent more than an hour on August 27 walking along a street and the slopes behind nearby homes to investigate the use of Specticle G, a herbicide used to control weeds. Later that day, she said, she developed intense itching across her arms and legs.
“I don’t recall the last time I’ve ever had anything like that,” Granero said. “It felt more like a rash, like an irritation of the skin because it was kind of widespread.”
The itching lasted three or four days, she said, and she scratched hard enough to bruise, including a large bruise on her thigh. She contacted Poison Control, which advised her to notify the Ladera Ranch Maintenance Corporation, the community’s HOA, known as LARMAC. The HOA recommended she seek medical attention if her symptoms worsened.
Granero said she also contacted O’Connell Landscape Management, the contractor she said applied the herbicide, and was asked by a manager to mark on a map exactly where she had walked. She was later assigned a senior investigator by the Orange County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office, which opened a case and asked her for photographs of her bruising.
“I walked where it said,” Granero said. “I went during the hours that they said.”
Following her account, LARMAC sent a community-wide email pausing use of Specticle G, initially for 60 days and later extended through November 14 — a 120-day total pause.
A Community Already on Edge
The pesticide concerns come as Ladera Ranch grapples with reports of rare cancers among young residents. Locals have identified up to 12 cases of Ewing sarcoma and synovial sarcoma in and around the community, and residents are tracking at least six deaths, including Ryan Regan, who died in October 2025; Lily Dalton, 23, who died in January 2026; and Brody Matteson, 17, who died in March 2026.
The California Department of Public Health is investigating whether these cancers are occurring at a higher-than-expected rate in the area. No government health official or community leader has established a link between pesticide use and the cancer cases.
Still, the fear has driven residents to organize. John Gresko, a father of five and founder of the group Protect Ladera, said the goal is caution, not blame.
“No one should have to wonder whether what they’re breathing, drinking, or touching is harmful. This is about precaution, not causation,” Gresko said.
Granero said her research into the issue began after she started reviewing pesticide and herbicide application notices posted on the HOA’s website, LaderaLife.com. She said she was troubled after reading the safety data sheet for Specticle G, which contains the hazard statement “May cause cancer.”
“When I pulled up what the safety data sheet indicated, and I was reading information that said may cause cancer, that’s all I needed to know,” she said.
She has also questioned why the product was still being used while LARMAC was reviewing its broader pest-management practices and had already paused two other landscaping products.
Running for the Board
Granero is now campaigning for one of two open seats on LARMAC’s five-member board, saying neighbors urged her to run after watching her advocacy over the past two months.
“Either I could change policy from the inside, or I could be on the outside chasing and exposing myself,” she said.
If elected, Granero said she wants LARMAC to pause all pesticide and herbicide use while the broader review is underway, rather than pulling individual products one at a time. She is also pushing for residents to get advance notice — an email roughly 48 hours before any application, and eventually text alerts.
“At least I’d like for them to be compliant and give residents everything that we deserve,” she said. “A text alert would be even better.”
“To be honest, I’m tired, but I will continue because I do think it makes a difference, and I do think that it could potentially be saving lives,” Granero said.
Cost Versus Caution
The dispute came to a head at a LARMAC board meeting this week, where at least 10 residents spoke about pesticide use. Margaret Novak, a board member of the Santa Margarita Water District, spoke in favor of continuing traditional pesticide use to preserve the community’s landscaping. A mother who lost her son to cancer earlier this year was visibly shaken and began crying during the remarks. Other attendees later referred to Novak as a “plant.”
The HOA has said switching to fully organic landscaping would be too costly. Jeff Moll, a resident planning to run for a board seat, said the association already spends $44,000 a month on certified landscaping. Residents have countered that LARMAC has not even sought competing bids to see whether an organic approach could cost less.
More than 7,000 residents pay assessments to LARMAC, which serves a community of more than 23,000 people. The board’s meeting agenda this week included items on a comprehensive organic land-management plan, expanded restrictions on synthetic pesticides in high-use areas, rodenticide and insecticide evaluations, and soil and water sampling.
Residents are calling for an independent environmental investigation and a full pesticide ban, rather than another temporary pause.
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