Homeowner arrested after tense standoff with squatters

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A New York City property owner recently ended up in handcuffs following a fiery standoff with a bunch of squatters she has been trying to boot from her family’s home, tense footage of the ordeal shows.

Adele Andaloro, 47, was recently nabbed after she changed the locks on the $1 million home in Flushing, Queens that she says she inherited from her parents when they died, ABC’s Eyewitness News reported.

“It’s enraging,” the homeowner said of the squatter saga. “It’s not fair that I, as the homeowner, have to be going through this.”

Andaloro claims the ordeal erupted when she started the process of trying to sell the home last month but realized squatters had moved in — and brazenly replaced the entire front door and locks.

Fed up, she recently went to her family’s home on 160th Street — with the local TV outlet in tow — and called a locksmith to change the locks for her.

A heated caught-on-camera spat with the alleged squatters quickly unfolded and ended with some of the so-called tenants — and Andaloro — being led away in cuffs.

In New York City, a person can claim “squatters rights” after just 30 days of living at a property. Under the law, it is illegal for the homeowner to change the locks, turn off the utilities, or remove the “tenants” belongings from the property.

“By the time someone does their investigation, their work, and their job, it will be over 30 days and this man will still be in my home,” Andaloro said.

“I’m really fearful that these people are going to get away with stealing my home,” she added.

During the recent encounter at her home, Andaloro — who was armed with the deeds — was filmed entering the property after one of the apparent tenants left the front door open.

After changing the locks, a man claiming to be on the lease — identified by the local outlet as Brian Rodriguez — returned to the property and barged through the front door.

“You shouldn’t be trying to steal my house,” a furious Andaloro yelled at him during the caught-on-camera ordeal.

Following a flurry of 911 calls, responding cops told Andaloro she had to sort the saga out in the housing court because it was considered a “landlord-tenant issue.”

Andaloro was ultimately arrested for unlawful eviction given she had changed the locks.

In addition to her arrest, Andaloro said she is being forced to start an eviction filing in court to settle the landlord-tenant dispute.

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As illegal squatters taking over homes across Southern California grow increasingly common, one man has dedicated his life to fighting those squatters and protecting homeowners.

Known as “The Squatter Hunters,” Flash Shelton, 57, is the man behind the operation focused on helping homeowners clear their properties of squatters while fighting to change laws that protect squatters’ rights.

Shelton’s most recent case was helping an elderly woman who owned a Hollywood Hills home that squatters had taken over.

Recently, squatters took over a Beverly Crest mansion and turned it into a wild party house where hundreds of rowdy guests would show up every night.

In February, another group of squatters took over a Hollywood Hills mansion and used the property to produce OnlyFans content.

Intruders breaking into unoccupied homes and living there illegally has become a growing issue that some homeowners are concerned about.

Authorities said while many squatters may not necessarily be homeless, some are just career criminals mostly looking for an easy living situation.

If Shelton can help it though, these squatters have now met their match. When asked how he would describe his job, Shelton said, “I’d say anti-squatter activist, squatter hunter, squatter remover. Just doing what I have to to help people get their squatters out.”

Shelton’s life mission began in 2019 when his father died and his mother was looking to sell her Northern California home.

While the home was listed on the market, it remained empty during that time. One day, Shelton made a shocking discovery when he walked into the home and discovered seven strangers had moved in, even filling the home with full furnishings.

When Shelton contacted local law enforcement, he was told there was nothing they could do as squatters also had rights. That’s when Shelton decided to take matters into his own hands.

Cell phone video of Shelton confronting the squatters shows the culprits were defensive when asked how they were able to move into the home.

“Squatters sometimes, in many cases, have a fake lease,” Shelton explained. “So the first thing I did was I had my mom write a lease in my name.”

He then waited for an open window when he knew the squatters had left the home for the day.

“I went in and put up cameras, and secured the back door that had been broken into,” Shelton recalled.

He then moved all of the squatters’ furniture and belongings into the driveway. When they returned to the home, he explained the situation to them, that they did not have a legitimate lease and that once he locked the home up and left, they would not be able to re-enter the property.

Following this successful operation, Shelton said he found a new calling, becoming the “Squatter Hunter” and devoted his time to helping other homeowners who may be stuck in a similar situation.

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