Jury Awards Family $8 Million: neighbour’s ‘public nuisance’ claim rejected; boy’s care and security boosted

A family in San Jose, California, has won an $8 million jury award after a prolonged legal dispute with a neighbour who took issue with the sounds their autistic child made while playing in the backyard. According to reporting by KRON4 and NBC Bay Area, the dispute began when the neighbour filed a lawsuit against the family, arguing that the child's vocalisations amounted to a public nuisance.

The family's subsequent countersuit resulted in a jury verdict in their favour. The boy, identified as Ezekiel Arvayo, was 11 when the original dispute became a legal matter.

He has Level 3 autism, is non-verbal and requires extensive daily support. He is now 14, according to NBC Bay Area's October 2026 report.How the dispute beganThe family was living in a rented house on Boynton Avenue with Ezekiel's grandfather when their next-door neighbour initiated legal proceedings in December 2023.