Homeowner Arrested Trying To Remove Squatters From Her $1 Million Home And People Are Outraged

In a twist that seems straight out of a movie, a homeowner from New York found herself in handcuffs after trying to kick out squatters from her $1 million home.

Adel Andaloro had just inherited her family's place in Flushing, Queens, following the sad loss of her parents.

She was in the midst of getting the house sold when she discovered a surprising change: the entire front door and the locks had been switched out.

In a recent chat with ABC7, Andaloro shared that since February, these uninvited guests had made themselves at home and showed no signs of leaving.

"It's not fair that I, as the homeowner, have to be going through this," she expressed her frustration.

ABC7

The fear that these squatters might permanently take over her property is real for her. 

"I'm really fearful that these people are going to get away with stealing my home. By the time someone does their investigation, does their work, and does their job, it will be over 30 days and this man will still be in my home," she lamented.

In New York, it turns out squatters gain certain rights after staying in a place for 30 days, according to ABC7.

So, Andaloro felt she had no choice but to act on her own.

With Eyewitness News in tow, she recently visited her property.

It was then that a woman approached, unlocked the house, and promptly left.

Seizing the moment, Andaloro and her daughter entered their house, property deed in hand.

"This is proving everything I said, this is my furniture, these are my curtains," Andaloro pointed out as she surveyed her house.

ABC7

Inside, they found two individuals. One was even found sleeping in the bedroom. 

"Who are you sir, get out of my house," she demanded.

While one of the squatters told Eyewitness News he had only been there for two days, the other chose to stay mum.

Andaloro suggested that one of them call the police, stating, "They've called the police on me and I've called the locksmith. We didn't come in illegally, the door was open."

Not long after, the police arrived, talked to everyone involved including the neighbors, and asked for documentation.

The men couldn’t provide any proof of their right to be there and were led away from the property.

ABC7

Then, another twist occurred. A man, claiming he was leasing the house, arrived with one of the previously escorted individuals.

He forced his way through the front door, an action Andaloro described as him 'breaking down' the door and charging at her and her daughter.

The police, once on the scene, explained to Andaloro that the man 'couldn't be evicted' just like that and that she'd need to pursue the matter in court.

Eyewitness News noted the situation was being treated as a landlord-tenant issue. 

Because Andaloro had changed the locks, she found herself arrested for unlawful eviction.

Eyewitness News caught up with the man, identified as Brian Rodriguez, who claimed to have a lease and showed them bills for work he'd allegedly done on the house.

He mentioned signing a document with a realtor but wouldn't disclose who it was.

Rodriguez's stance was clear: "If she pays me my money that I put in the house, I'll leave or she can take me to court. It's that simple."

Faced with no other options, Andaloro mentioned she's gearing up to start the eviction process through the courts.