At 7:12 on a warm Saturday morning in Pasadena, Elena Ruiz stood in the driveway staring at a mountain of broken plaster, splintered shelving, and old carpet. The house was quiet except for the ticking of a sprinkler and the scrape of a broom against concrete. By Monday, her family wanted the room ready for a new baby. By noon, the dumpster had to be gone.
