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News.com.au
a day ago
- News.com.au
Family of squatters move into home after it sold, change locks
A US homeowner had the surprise of his life when he discovered a family allegedly squatting in his home. Mike Haskell had spent tens of thousands renovating his four-bedroom house in Windsor Mill, Maryland. He was 24-hours away from finalising the sale of his property when he received a phone call. By the next morning, he'd learned that an unknown family of four had been living on the property for at least a week — without his permission, Realtor reports. 'There should be nobody there' Speaking with Spotlight on Maryland, Mr Haskell explained that his buyer actually alerted him to the squatters. They had spotted a moving truck parked outside the property and called Mr Haskell to see what was up. 'They thought it was maybe being unstaged for advertising, and I said, 'No, that was done way earlier. There should be nobody there,'' Mr Haskell said. According to Mr Haskell, he was forced to call the Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD) after he and his colleagues noticed that the locks on the property had been changed, and the sale sign had been removed from the front yard. The police treated the initial call as a 'civil matter,' according to documents obtained by Spotlight on Maryland. No official charges or arrests were made, and the squatters were not removed. When the local outlet came to check in on the situation themselves with Mr Haskell, they approached the family, who confessed to Spotlight that they were 'unlawfully occupying Mr Haskell's property and recognised that their presence allegedly interfered with an active sale to prospective buyers'. Speaking with the outlet, a man and a woman explained how they found the home through a social media advertisement offering a one-time fee of $US7500 ($A11,500) to move into the Windsor Mill property. They met the poster at Mr Haskell's home, handed over a cash payment, and signed a lease document before moving in, which they shared with the reporter. The couple refused to share the original advertisement they allegedly saw online. In the end, Mr Haskell was able to persuade the family, who had two young children, to leave the property and hand over the keys for $US3,000 ($A4,600). Removing squatters isn't easy According to Realtor, once a squatter has made their way into a home, it's very difficult to have them removed. Experts agree that the best way to ensure squatters can't get access to your home is to make sure the property is monitored regularly, even when it's not occupied. 'The key to protecting yourself from squatters is preventing them from entering in the first place,' real estate professional and lawyer Bruce Ailion, of Re/Max Town & Country in Atlanta, told Realtor. In Mr Haskell's case, the family not only entered the home, but the locks were changed as well, giving them a level of access synonymous with ownership. Mr Ailion advises forgoing cheap locks and deadbolts, which he suggests can be opened 'in about 10 seconds.' Instead, he recommends buying directly from a locksmith, who has 'higher-grade locks that are hard to compromise.' 'As soon as you list a home for sale or lease, invest in cameras and security systems,' adds David Metzger, a lawyer at Williams Teusink, a real estate firm in Atlanta. In Australia, homeowners should immediately issue a formal notice of trespass upon discovering squatters. According to James & Jaramillo Lawyers, 'the occupants have no legal right to be on the property and must vacate immediately'. 'If squatters refuse to leave, seek legal advice promptly. Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to apply for an interim possession order,' the website states. 'This court order allows for quick removal of trespassers and restoration of the property to the rightful owner. 'Keep detailed records of all interactions with unauthorised occupants and any damage to the property. 'These documents can be crucial if legal proceedings become necessary.' Parts of this story first appeared in Realtor and the New York Post and were republished with permission.
CBS News
19-05-2025
- CBS News
Baltimore County police called to de-escalate mental health crisis before deadly shooting, neighbors say
A mother called police to de-escalate a mental health episode before her son was shot and killed by Baltimore County police officers in Dundalk on Sunday, according to neighbors. Glenn Pettie, who is in his 40s, died after an armed altercation with officers in the 8200 block of N. Boundary Road, police said. Glenn Pettie, who is in his 40s, died after an armed altercation with officers in the 8200 block of N. Boundary Road, police said. CBS News Baltimore "They knocked on her door, they knew he had mental health issues, so one cop gets out, knocks on the door, and the other cop sits in his car," said a neighbor. "Then the one cop gets on his radio and told the other cop he's going to walk around back." Neighbors told WJZ that Pettie was near his back door, and then they heard gunfire. They said Pettie's grandmother and 20-year-old son were pleading with the officers to stop shooting. Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough said two officers fired shots at the man with whom they had an exchange. Pettie was pronounced dead at the hospital. A neighbor said an officer hid behind the grandmother's car while firing shots. "We just heard, 'bang, bang, bang,' and my friend, he usually walks up and down the street, he was sitting on the brick wall, and he says, 'Did you hear that?'" said Russell Hayes, a neighbor. The investigation is being handled by the Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Office of the Attorney General. The officers have been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. This was the fifth police shooting in Baltimore County in 2025, according to Police Chief McCullough. "The thing I want to point out is the danger of the number of handguns that are on the street, the number of handguns that our officers are encountering," McCullough said. "More and more people are armed with handguns or armed with a knife." "They could have done it a different way" Neighbors told WJZ they didn't anticipate the call for help would end with a man fatally shot. "This area is usually a pretty good area," said Hayes. "We don't usually have crime. The neighbors get along good." Neighbors and the family acknowledge Pettie's mental health issues. He made a social media post on Sunday before he was killed that said, in part, "I'm tired of no sleep…this town has gobbled me up and showed no love for me and mine." After his death, Pettie's friends commented, saying things like, "Glenn was a nice guy" and "You clearly needed help and you were asking for it… I'm sorry." Pettie's neighbor, who knew him for 10 years, said the deadly shooting should have ended differently. "Even when he was going through his mental health crisis, we would talk to him, I would talk to him," a neighbor said. "He would say, 'You are my Libra friend,' and he always smiled and talked to me. I was always able to calm him down and talk to him. They could have done it a different way."
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
Armed man dead after gunfight with police
According to Chief Robert McCollough of Baltimore County Police, at around 7:25pm, an armed man was experiencing a "mental health episode." Officers arrived on the scene. Gunfire between the armed man and officers occurred.
CBS News
16-05-2025
- CBS News
Armed person hospitalized after being shot by police in Baltimore County
An armed person was injured after being shot by police in Baltimore County on Thursday, May 15, police said. Officers responded to reports of a suicidal person in the 1000 block of Pine Road in Essex around 9:30 p.m. When officers arrived on the scene, they found a person armed with a knife. Police said the person refused to drop the knife, despite commands from officers. As they attempted to get the person to comply, one of the officers fired his weapon, hitting the armed person. The person was then transported to a hospital for treatment. Police did not share an update on the person's condition Friday. The officer who fired his weapon has been put on administrative leave as the Baltimore County Police Department conducts an investigation. Man armed with bow and arrow killed by Baltimore County police The latest shooting comes about a month after a Baltimore County Police detective shot and killed a man who was armed with a bow and arrow. Police said the man, 51-year-old Arvel Jones, Sr., was reportedly shooting arrows at passing cars in an Arbutus neighborhood before he encountered officers. The Maryland Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division (IID) is investigating the shooting. Their preliminary investigation found that the involved detective, identified as 28-year veteran Detective Todd Wiedel, was not wearing a body camera at the time of the shooting. The Attorney General's Office said another responding officer had a camera, but did not activate it until after the shooting. Jones' son said his father suffered from mental illness. He criticized police for their deadly response. "At the end of the day, I feel like the officers could have handled it in a totally different way," he said. "You're supposed to serve and protect, not kill the people who we love." Man killed in shootout with Baltimore Police On May 12, Jai Marc Howell, 26, was killed after exchanging gunfire with Baltimore Police in the 4600 block of York Road. Police said they approached Howell and he took off, leading officers on a chase during which he pulled out a gun. Howell allegedly failed to comply with commands to drop the weapon and instead started shooting at the officers, hitting a patrol car. A gun with an extended magazine was recovered from the scene. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott offered condolences to Howell's family, but also emphasized that these types of incidents are unwelcome in the city. "We cannot and will not have people indiscriminately walking around with illegal guns, and willing to use them and shoot them indiscriminately at police officers in the middle of the day," Scott said. Investigating police-involved injuries, deaths in Maryland Usually, the IID investigates all fatal or near-fatal police involved incidents in Maryland as standard protocol. The division is able to determine if an officer should be prosecuted for the incident. Since the IID launched in 2021, they have investigated about 73 police-involved incidents across Maryland. According to IID data, eight of those investigations involved Baltimore County Police. If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, you can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here.
CBS News
03-04-2025
- CBS News
Married couple killed in apparent murder-suicide rattles Baltimore County community
Residents in a quiet Owings Mills community are grappling with an apparent murder-suicide that left a married couple dead Tuesday afternoon. Baltimore County officers were called around 4 p.m. for an assault at a house on Avery Hill Drive in the Worthington Park neighborhood. When police arrived, they found 59-year-old Karen Franklin and 63-year-old Gary Franklin dead with apparent gunshot wounds Police said one of the victims died from a self-inflicted gunshot. "It is very shocking to have something like this happen in our neighborhood," said neighbor Erin Knapp. Knapp said she saw about a dozen police cars. Dan Katz, another neighbor, told WJZ there was commotion on the Worthington Park social media page. "Just horrible, it's just tragic," Katz said. Katz said he didn't know the couple well, but he's heartbroken for their family. "You don't know what is going through people's heads, but it's just very sad for the children, and just a horrible situation," Katz said. Baltimore County police say investigators are still working to piece together what led to the tragedy. According to the Baltimore County Police Crime Data , there have been 11 homicides in the county this year through the end of March. Overall, crime has been declining in Baltimore County. In 2023, there were a total of 61,154 criminal offenses reported in the county. In 2024, there were 58,561 criminal offenses reported, according to Baltimore County Police data. Many of the crimes reported between January 2024 and January 2025 were theft, assault or fraud offenses. In 2024, there were 665 weapons violations reported in the county.
