An alleged squatter was arrested in Florida after a homeowner fresh off a seven-month trip to New Zealand said he returned to his house and found it trashed and burglarized.
Authorities with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office arrested Ze’Moye Brown on Friday after the unidentified homeowner in Ocala confronted the man and fired a gun in an attempt to get the suspect to leave, according to a sheriff’s office affidavit reviewed by Fox News Digital.
The homeowner told authorities that when he returned home from his trip, he found his home in disarray and several items were missing. He reported the incident to police.
Later that same day, the homeowner slept in a closet in the home in an attempt to catch the squatter. The homeowner’s alarm went off at 8 p.m., and he saw Brown peeking into the closet where he was sleeping, according to the affidavit.
Marion County Sheriff’s Office entrance.
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Brown told authorities after his arrest that he had been living at the home for “a few months” and that he was the only other person staying in the house. He said the windows and doors to the home were unlocked when he first arrived at the residence, adding that the house had been vacant for three years, according to Fox 35.
Brown is being held on a $4,000 bond.