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Thieves take over home of woman in nursing home
An elderly woman staying at a nursing home found out she was being victimized after learning thieves had been coming and going to her home for months. FOX 26's Damali Keith has more details on how they were stopped.
HOUSTON - An elderly woman, who is staying in a nursing home, was being victimized, and she didn’t even know it. Turns out, investigators say thieves have been coming and going from her home for months now.
One persistent neighbor says he knows the elderly woman who lives on his street is in a nursing home. So, when he saw an accused band of burglars with bags of belongings in and out of her house, he called 911 and didn’t stop calling for help until the people were arrested.
"It’s very upsetting," says one neighbor who does not want to be identified.
Residents in the southeast Houston neighborhood say there’s even video of one of the thefts. In the footage, you see people leaving the elderly woman’s house, and she is in a nursing home.
"They’ve been taking stuff in and out of that house for a couple of months now," one neighbor says.
Four men and two women have now been arrested for burglarizing the woman’s house. We spoke with one neighbor who called the police to report them.
In one video clip, you see an officer arrive, but no one answers the door and then the officer leaves.
"You see them exiting the house with bags full of her stuff," a neighbor explains.
"Since the home appeared to be abandoned, the owner was in a nursing home, the suspects kind of set up shop right there," says Sgt. Mauro Alvarado with Harris County Constable’s Office Precinct 6.
Ultimately, neighbors called Harris County Constable’s Office Precinct 6, who made the arrests.
"They arrived in full force. Six cars," says one resident.
"We arrested six people. There were four males. We got them for burglary. Two females, we also got them for burglary. They also had outstanding Harris County Sheriff’s warrants. They also had drugs on them," Sgt. Alvarado explained. He says squatters taking over empty homes is happening too often.
"Unfortunately, we see it quite a bit," the Sergeant said.
It can be difficult to have squatters removed, especially if they’re receiving mail there or have a utility placed in their name.
"The property owner has to go through legal channels to get them evicted. It can take a long time. A lot of squatters, they know that," explains Sgt. Alvarado. He says if you or a loved one plan to have an extended stay away from home, have friends and family make it appear someone is still there.
"Make sure you have somebody mowing your lawn. Have your neighbors park in your driveway," Sgt. Alvarado added but said first he says make sure you fill out a Trespass Affidavit and turn it in to local law enforcement, which will make it much easier to get rid of a squatter.
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"A Trespass Affidavit basically means that the property owner is allowing us to press charges on the trespasser," the sergeant says.
You can find Trespass Affidavit forms and file it online with Precinct 6 at www.constablesilviatrevino.com, but it has to be notarized.
Neighbors say the squatters who were living in the elderly lady’s home, trashed the inside of the house, and bags full of their clothing are still piled inside.