A property owner from out of state discovered that a squatter had been living in their vacation home in Florida. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office reported that not only was the squatter residing in the home, but they were also driving the owner’s car and had set up a PlayStation device in one of the bedrooms. The incident occurred on Friday, October 27th, when the homeowner confronted the squatter and subsequently contacted the authorities.
The sheriff’s office stated that the homeowner became suspicious after receiving a notification from the home’s smart thermostat, indicating a change in temperature inside the residence. Concerned, the homeowner decided to check on their property, and that’s when they witnessed the man driving their car and parking it in the garage. Acting swiftly, the homeowner blocked the squatter from leaving the garage and immediately called 911.
Upon further investigation, officials discovered that the 25-year-old suspect had broken into the property and had made himself at home. He had been using the homeowner’s car, cooking in their kitchen, and even connected a PlayStation device in one of the bedrooms. The suspect, who resides in Fort Myers, a community within Lee County, was subsequently arrested and charged with burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, grand theft of a motor vehicle, and larceny/grand theft of over $750 and less than $5,000. As of October 31st, he remained in custody.
The duration of the suspect’s stay in the home was not disclosed by investigators. However, it is worth noting that Lee County offers a program called “Vacation Home Check,” which allows property owners to request increased patrols when their homes are unoccupied for six months or less, according to the sheriff’s office.
In other news from Florida, a son shot his father outside their home when the latter attempted to run over the family with a car, according to the state’s police. Additionally, a dog was stabbed in the face while protecting its owner from an attacker, and an “agitated” man brandished a gun at a driver, unaware that the driver was a Florida trooper.
