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A Florida homeowner returned from a long vacation to find his home trashed and burglarized by a squatter.
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He slept in a closet overnight, armed with a handgun, as part of a plan to confront the individual.
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The homeowner shot at the door, causing the squatter — who was later arrested — to flee.
A Florida homeowner slept in a closet, armed with a handgun, as part of a plan to take matters into his own hands after he found out a man had been squatting in his home for months while he was on a long vacation.
The homeowner, whose name has not been released, returned from a seven-month trip to New Zealand on June 9 to find that his northern Florida home had been vandalized and burglarized, Fox 35 Orlando reported, citing an affidavit from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Determined to catch the person responsible for this, the homeowner slept in a closet with a handgun and awaited the return of the squatter, according to reports.
At around 8 p.m., the homeowner’s alarm sounded and he woke up to find 26-year-old Ze’Moye Brown peering into the room, Fox 35 Orlando reported.
The homeowner yelled at Brown to get out of his house, with the two men arguing about who actually owned the property, according to the local news outlet.
The homeowner then fired a shot at the front door, causing Brown to flee, per Fox 35 Orlando.
Brown called the police, saying he was shot and also claiming to be the house’s rightful owner, according to DailyMail.com.
But Brown was later placed under arrest. During a search he was found to have methamphetamine and a small amount of marijuana in his possession, records show.
Brown was charged with a felony drug possession charge, as well as misdemeanor marijuana possession and trespassing charges. He was booked into jail and is being held on a $4,000 bond.
Brown told authorities that he had been living at the home for “a few months,” adding that the windows had been unlocked when he arrived and that the house had been vacant for years, per Fox 35 Orlando.
He denied having stolen any items that the owner had reported missing, the news outlet said.
Marion County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
Read the original article on Insider
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