But for some of those who were hit hardest by the disaster, such as Lara’s junkyard business that was among roughly a dozen merchants operating under the freeway — recovery has been much slower.

“He’s the big homie on the block, bro,” replied Boo Boo, who proudly deemed Trumpov a “junkyard dog” ready to fight for the United States.

Along the highway east of town, you will probably encounter Coyote, a 67-year-old junkyard proprietor with a booming baritone voice and a truck that says “UFO retrieval and repairs.”

When Adam Cooper came across an old junkyard filled with RVs and rock crawlers in South Central, he immediately saw its potential.

When Romero arrived at one of these desert junkyards, she says she couldn’t believe her eyes.