>> FROM THE LOCAL STATION NEWSFOURJAX. ♪
NEWSFOURJAX. ♪ THE NEWS 4 JAX I TEAM HAS
OBTAINED BODY CAMERA VIDEO
SHOWING THE INITIAL RESPONSE
FROM JACKSONVILLE POLICE BUT A
LOCAL HOMEOWNER DISCOVERED
STRANGERS.
>> AND MOVED INTO HER HOUSE.
WE’RE GOING TO BE INVESTIGATED
FOR FRAUD. NEARLY 2 MONTHS
LATER, THE QUEUE SQUATTERS ARE
GONE, BUT NO ONE HAS BEEN
ARRESTED. THE HOUSE WAS LEFT
IN BAD SHAPE. AS YOU SAW
THERE, THE HOMEOWNER TOLD
POLICE THE WASHER AND DRYER
WERE STOLEN.
>> THERE WERE THOUSANDS OF
DOLLARS WORTH OF PROPERTY
DAMAGE NEWSFOURJAX I TEAM
INVESTIGATOR AND MAXWELL’S
BEEN FOLLOWING THIS STORY
SINCE THE BEGINNING. SHE’S
JOINING US LIVE WITH THAT BODY
CAMERA FOOTAGE AND
>> JOY, INVEST JSO ARE
CONTINUING TO FOLLOW UP ON
THIS CASE. IT’S BEEN QUITE THE
ORDEAL AND THE HOMEOWNER IS
FRUSTRATED. ONE OF THEM WENT
WOMEN WHO MOVED INTO HER HOUSE
TOLD THE RESPONDING OFFICER
SHE’S BEEN A VICTIM OF A
RENTAL SCAM. BUT AS YOU’LL SEE
IN THAT BODY CAMERA VIDEO, THE
OFFICER SOON BECOME SUSPICIOUS
OF HER STORY.
>> BUT HE SAID THERE WASN’T
MUCH HE COULD DO IN THAT
MOMENT.
>> IT IS PROBABLE CAUSE.
YOU’RE GOING TO BE ARRESTED,
OK, A CALL FROM A CONFUSED
HOMEOWNER. I OWN THIS HOUSE.
IT WAS FOR SALE LEADING TO A
TESTY EXCHANGE. YOU CAN TELL
NO, OF NOT GOING TO CAVE IN
EARLY MARCH HOMEOWNER PATTI
PEEPLES WAS SURPRISED TO FIND
PEOPLE LIVING IN HER RENTAL
PROPERTY. SHE HAS ASSIGNED
ONLY SON A $3100 FOR FIRST IN
LAST MONTH’S IT.
>> YOUR TALKS IT? YES, SHE’S
VERY CALM AND VERY, VERY
POLITE. BUT PEOPLE’S HADN’T
AUTHORIZED. ALICIA, YOU GOING
>> SO 22 YEARS AND I THAT HE
IS I FOR YEARS, SHE SAID SHE
FOUND THIS HOUSE FOR RENT ON
ZILLOW AND A MAN NAMED
CHRISTOPHER GAVE HER A TOUR
AND ACCEPTED HER AS A TENANT
THAT ZILLOW HAS NO RECORD OF
THE HOUSE BEING LISTED FOR
RENT AT THAT TIME. AND THE
RESPONDING OFFICER COULD FIND
NO TRACE OF CHRISTOPHER.
>> THE OFFICERS RESEARCH ON
SCENE DID SHOW THAT THIS WOMAN
CLAIMS SHE WAS A VICTIM OF A
SIMILAR RENTAL SCAM AT A
NEARBY PROPERTY A FEW MONTHS
EARLIER, A NEIGHBOR SAID THE
COUPLE MOVED OUT OF THIS HOUSE
RIGHT AROUND THE TIME THEY
MOVED INTO PEOPLE’S HOUSE. CAN
SEE ALL.
>> THIS IS WHAT I NOW THE
OFFICER STARTS ASKING FOR MORE
INFORMATION ABOUT THE PERSON
SHE CLAIMED RENTED HER THE
HOUSE. YOU
>> WHEN THE OFFICER PRESSES
HER TO SEND THE E-MAILS. A FEW
MINUTES LATER, SHE GETS
FRUSTRATED AND SAYS SHE’D NEED
TO SEND THEM FROM HER
COMPUTER. BUT SHE HAS TO GET
TO WORK OUT IN THE THAT WE’LL
SEE BUT YOU’RE NOT A LOT OF
THESE PEAK, OK? SO.
>> SO WHAT I’M WHAT I’M SAYING
IS THIS IS THE FIRST I’M
HEARING FUN TO BE A WORK THAT
EVEN THEY SAY THAT THERE. I
DIDN’T HEAR THAT BECAUSE I’M
NOT AND IT’S RIGHT THERE ON
THE HE TELLS OUR SHE AND HER
PARTNER SHOULD MOVE OUT
BECAUSE IF NOT, THEY’RE GOING
TO COME BACK TO YOU GUYS IN
JAIL. BUT THEY REFUSED SO SHE
CAN AND IT WITH U.S. CIVIL AND
JSO HASN’T TAKEN THEM TO JAIL.
YEAH. THAT SEEMS LIKE EMPTY
WORDS TO ME. NEWS 4 JAX CRIME
AND SAFETY ANALYST. LOOK, HE
SHOULD BURTON WHO SPENT
DECADES ON THE FORCE OF JSO
SAYS THE OFFICER DID NOT HAVE
THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE AN
ARREST ON THE SPOT AS
FRUSTRATING AND HEARTBREAKING
AS THIS SITUATION IS THROUGH
THE LEGAL SQUATTING IS A CIVIL
MATTER. SO THE OFFICER
FOLLOWED THE LAW. THE UNWANTED
GUEST ALSO SEEM TO KNOW THE
LAW HERSELF AND THE OFFICER
ARRIVED TELLING HIM HER FATHER
WHO SELLS HOUSES ADVISER. SHE
COULD CONTINUE LIVING THERE.
>> PEOPLE SAYS SHE SPENT
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN LEGAL
FEES TO GET THEM EVICTED ABOUT
A MONTH LATER, SHE FOUND THE
HOUSE LIKE THIS
>> PEOPLE SAYS IT’S $38,000
WORTH OF DAMAGE. A HIGH PRICE
ON TOP OF AN EXPENSIVE LAST
OFFER ON THE HOUSE AND MONTHS
WORTH OF REPAIRS. I REALLY
FELT NICELY THAT IF SOMEONE
BREAKS INTO
>> YOUR HOUSE AND DOESN’T HAVE
LEGITIMATE PAPERWORK THAT THIS
IS A PRETTY CUT AND DRIED
SITUATION. IT’S QUITE FRANKLY,
JUST THE OPPOSITE. SHE SAYS
SHE FOUND THIS DEPOSIT SLIP IN
THE TRASH ONCE THE 2 MOVED
OUT, SHE’S AFRAID SOMEONE ELSE
COULD GET SCAMMED. IT HAS
BECOME A TREND HERE LOCALLY IN
DUVAL COUNTY OVER THE LAST 2
YEARS.
>> SO IT’S DEFINITELY
SOMETHING THAT WE WILL HAVE TO
LOOK AT LEGISLATIVELY TO
CHANGE BECAUSE, AGAIN, I THINK
THAT A LOT OF TIME, SOME OF
THE LAWS THEY TIE THE HANDS OF
POLICE OFFICERS.
>> THAT WOMAN YOU SAW IN THE
BODY CAMERA WHO MOVED INTO THE
HOUSE PREVIOUSLY TOLD THE I
TEAM THAT SHE WAS A VICTIM OF
A SCAM. SHE BECAME COMBATIVE
WHEN WE ASKED HER IF YOU’VE
BEEN SQUATTING THERE, BURTON
SAYS IT’S NOT HARD FOR PEOPLE
IN JAIL FOR JSO TO FIND A
SUSPECT ON THE RUN THESE DAYS.
HOWEVER, IT DOESN’T APPEAR ANY
CHARGES HAVE BEEN FILED IN