Smyrna police increase patrolling to address squatter complaints

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A man is accused of repeatedly squatting in the same home, leading police to increase patrols to address the issue.

Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell went out to a home on Old Spring Road when the accused squatter showed up.

She saw a car parked in the driveway and the man standing near the trunk.

According to Newell, the man claimed he was there to get his belongings and said he had been renting the house for a few months.

However, when she questioned him about the criminal charges he faced, he quickly left.

“You want to share your side of the story?” Newell asked during the confrontation.

The man, identified as Andres Fernandez Lagunes, then got into a car with someone and drove away.

Police have issued multiple arrest warrants for Lagunes, who is accused of squatting in three different incidents.

To ensure Lagunes didn’t return, police began patrolling the house.

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Neighbor T.J. Whitaker, who lives across the street, said, “He usually goes into the back door over there.”

“Multiple police cars have come and parked along the street next to the house,” Whitaker added. “He was in handcuffs, he went to the back of the police car, and a few days later he was there again.”

“We are cracking down on squatters. Different neighborhoods have called us, it’s the residents who are giving us the call,” Officer Arial Marshalle from the Smyrna Police Department told Newell.

Smyra police said it is ready to arrest squatters if they find them.

“We do come out, we will walk the home, to see if there’s any individuals in the home, and if so, we will have them removed from the home,” Marshalle said.

As a precaution, police recommend that property owners secure their homes with alarm systems and lock all windows to prevent squatting.

Police told Newell that squatters are walking around neighborhoods at times looking for vacant homes, they are also online searching for homes on the market.

If you live in Smyrna and suspect a squatter is living near you, officers say to call the police.

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