Queens homeowner was initially arrested for changing locks after squatter Brian Rodriguez occupied her home.
A squatter who had a homeowner arrested in NYC last month has been arrested and faced a judge in Queens County Criminal Court on Thursday.
Prosecutors are charging Brian Rodriguez with burglary, grand larceny, and other crimes and he faces up to 15 years if convicted.
“Criminal charges will be pursued when you unlawfully occupy someone else’s home,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.
Rodriguez last month invaded and occupied the $1 million home of Queens homeowner Adele Andaloro in the middle of the night on Feb. 6 and refused to leave. She was in the process of selling the property she had inherited from her mother.
After Andaloro tried changing the locks of her home to drive out the squatter, Rodriguez called the police and had her arrested after a tense standoff, which was captured on video.
🚨BREAKING: A woman gets arrested for removing squatters out of her $1,000,000 house in Queens, NY.
Adel Andaloro inherited her family’s home in Flushing, Queens after her parents passed away and was in the process of selling it when she noticed that someone illegally moved in.… pic.twitter.com/bMqitIXlrk
— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) March 19, 2024
“In New York, squatters have rights after 30 days. It’s against the law for homeowners to change the locks, remove their belongings or shut off the utilities. It’s handled as a civil court matter in the state, so police can’t remove squatters,” ABC News 7 reported.
The absurd nature of the incident quickly gave the story international attention and prompted fierce political backlash.
“I’m really fearful that these people are going to get away with stealing my home,” Andaloro told Eyewitness News at the time.
“It’s not fair that I, the homeowner, [have] to be going through this,” she added.
The unlawful eviction charge against Andaloro was eventually dropped and the Queens DA began investigating Rodriguez.
“You can’t walk in when it’s not yours and claim they have a right to be there,” said DA Katz. “I thank the media for all the attention that they have given to this story and for being here today because I do think it’s an important message to send.”
But Andaloro’s home is still occupied: it was later discovered that Rodriguez had been renting out rooms of the home to other people, so Andaloro may need to take them to court to evict them.
In the wake of the squatting crisis that’s begun to plague New York, state lawmakers filed four state laws that would close the loopholes that the squatters have exploited to occupy homes, namely the rule that allows squatters to stay after living in the home for at least 30 days.
