- 2 weeks ago
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00:00There is nothing wrong with being nervous and scared.
00:07Sometimes being scared helps you prepare.
00:11The main objectives for today is to make physical contact.
00:14Let's go, Cam.
00:15Careful.
00:21There's people pulling up directly in front of the house.
00:24He's coming. Be aware.
00:30Yo.
00:34My name is Flash Shelton, and I am the squatter hunter.
00:38In 2019, my mom's home was taken over by squatters.
00:42I called the sheriff.
00:44The sheriff informed me it's a civil matter and there's nothing we can do.
00:48The city of Los Angeles did tenancy laws.
00:52Probably offered. It could take months.
00:54But when it came to my mother's house, there was no way in hell I was going to let them win.
00:59I took matters into my own hands.
01:01I learned all about the laws.
01:03I figured out the loopholes.
01:05And now I have a very particular set of skills.
01:08Sometimes you're bringing the squatters just making it a little bit difficult for them to hold.
01:13What I used to save my mom's house, I am now using to help homeowners across the country.
01:23I've built a whole team ready to out-squat the squatters.
01:27We're moving in here on you. We have Elisa the South.
01:29Get the out of my face. I did.
01:31Well then I guess you're looking at your new roommate, bud.
01:39At my side is my little sister, Justice.
01:42Justice has been in my family since she was about four months old.
01:46My family adopted her.
01:48For me to be able to help families regain what's rightfully theirs, that's beyond priceless.
01:54All right, let's do this.
01:55All right, let's do it.
01:56All right, let's do it.
01:57Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
01:58Dude, what the are you guys doing here?
01:59We're here to take you out of this house. You don't belong.
02:01This is what a dead body smells like.
02:05You ain't gonna be speaking up on me in the middle of the .
02:07We are here in Garland, Texas, because I was notified by a family who lost their brother,
02:22and they have a squatter that has taken over their brother's home.
02:25I was caretaking for my brother.
02:28My brother had cancer, but he had a stroke right before he died.
02:31It all started when I would leave at night when he was in the hospital.
02:34I think this friend of his went on his phone and zailed himself thousands of dollars.
02:38And I would get all these notices on my email that Steven is trying to hack into his bank accounts.
02:44I've filed so many police reports over Steven.
02:47My brother passed away in my arms.
02:49And that very day, I think that the squatter took his credit card and started charging stuff on his credit card.
02:55And moved into his house within five or six hours.
02:58They are stuck with squatters. They're locked out.
03:01They don't have any access to his belongings, lifelong memories.
03:06Now, this is where I get a little upset.
03:08People work 10, 20, 30 years most of their life to obtain one house.
03:13And for that to be snatched away, this is when my anger kicks in for the people that can't protect themselves.
03:18And I'll definitely be the front man for that.
03:20Well said, little sister.
03:22Thank you, sir.
03:28Thanks for coming. We've had quite an experience.
03:31You know, it's unfortunate you lost your brother.
03:35Well, it's hard for me to talk about him without crying because it's just he only passed away a few months ago.
03:42Yeah.
03:43I was very close to him.
03:45And my brother Andy, he was a great guy.
03:48We were really, really close.
03:51He was such a fighter.
03:53Oh, my God.
03:54He fought so hard.
03:56He tried so hard to live.
03:59He never, never gave up.
04:02And my brother set us down before he died.
04:05And he got out the words that this house is for you, Kathy.
04:09He told me that was my house.
04:10OK.
04:11OK.
04:12OK.
04:13At the end, when he got really bad, we did everything for him.
04:18We took care of him.
04:21What is the current situation with our squatter?
04:25Well, he's in there.
04:27And I think he's in there with some other people.
04:30I think it's possibly his on-again, off-again fiancee and one of his friends.
04:35How does your brother and him know each other?
04:38I really do not know how they met, gonna be honest with you.
04:41I mean, they were friends.
04:43And then they hadn't seen each other for years.
04:45My brother Andy was hanging out with this guy Steven probably seven years ago or something, briefly.
04:52Then he was gone.
04:54And then after my brother got diagnosed with the pancreas cancer, all of a sudden Steven popped back in his life.
05:01And who is this here?
05:03That's Steven.
05:04He is the person that has taken my brother's house hostage.
05:07I met this guy at the hospital and there's just something about him I just did not trust.
05:13And cut to months later, when Andy had died on a Friday, I'm like, you know, I'm just gonna check my camera.
05:19And I put it on and I was like, wow.
05:22I mean, it didn't surprise me, but it surprised me in the sense I put the camera on and he had already changed things in the house.
05:28We were watching him go through and look through papers because he was trying to see what he could steal.
05:32And he's giving a buddy of his cheers with a mug of beers or whatever.
05:37They were playing really loud music and high-fiving each other and partying.
05:42Wow.
05:43And we went to the house with the key to open the door and the police said, well, don't go in there.
05:46We don't know whether they have firearms.
05:48So we got there at four in the morning after being up all day and we took the key, put it in the door and it doesn't work.
05:55And I look on the ground.
05:56There's the old locks.
05:57Wow.
05:58Then I tried breaking down the door and the cops are like, get out of here.
05:59We're gonna arrest you for breaking and entering.
06:00Wow.
06:01And that's when they said, this is a civil matter.
06:02There's nothing we can do.
06:03I have possessions in that house.
06:10On the ground, there's the old locks.
06:11Then I tried breaking down the door, and the cops are like, get out of here.
06:15We're going to arrest you for breaking and entering.
06:17Wow.
06:18And that's when they said, this is a civil matter.
06:20There's nothing we can do.
06:30I have possessions in that house.
06:32My brother has stuff in there, sentimental things that we can't even get to.
06:37You know, he had a violin he played when he was a little boy.
06:40A tie collection.
06:41Also, I've got hospice calling me.
06:44The hospice equipment and beds and everything is all in that house.
06:47We should be able to help with that.
06:50Now, my heart wants to absolutely do everything and anything to just grab these people and throw it out.
06:56The truth is, though, I can't act emotionally.
07:00And I can't go in and kick them out, okay?
07:04So what I do is I literally take their rights and I use them against them.
07:10But I can't do that without actually becoming a tenant.
07:14So what I need is a lease.
07:16I think we need my dad for that.
07:17I need you to just sign this top line here.
07:21And then I am the tenant.
07:23So I'm going to sign my signature right there.
07:25Okay.
07:26Okay.
07:27Okay.
07:27You have a new tenant.
07:28My son.
07:30Missy.
07:31Oh, yeah.
07:32I bet.
07:33We're not supposed to lose our kids.
07:35No.
07:36Not supposed to be this way.
07:38Yeah, it's not supposed to be.
07:39So let's just do the best job we can in his bedroom.
07:43How's that?
07:44I'm going to use my tenant rights to go out squat those squatters, okay?
07:48Oh, good.
07:48Because they took a house and now I'm going to go take one.
07:51All right.
08:03So you're not going to be right up in line with me.
08:07You're going to be kind of a step back, okay?
08:08Because if there's an aggressive movement, I'm going to react first.
08:14So you're just going to basically really take him to the ground, okay?
08:19All right, let's do this.
08:20All right, let's roll.
08:24This is a surprise right now.
08:26He has no idea that we are here.
08:28But the fact that there's a ring doorbell, it's possible he's watching us on video.
08:32He has no idea that he's going to be able to do it.
08:39Steven Gonzalez, please open the door so we can talk.
08:50Hey, Steven.
08:55It's a high probability that he's just maintaining quiet in there and he's looking at cameras trying
09:01to figure out what's going on and who's knocking on his door.
09:03Steven, I want to talk to you about the possession of the property and I just want to get your
09:07side of the story and try to remediate this situation peacefully.
09:15Nobody's at the house?
09:19Isn't Steven's vehicle there?
09:26And you're not at the house?
09:28Okay, can we set a time to talk?
09:39All right, we're going to step back for a few minutes and we'll try again.
09:44Let's try again a little bit.
09:46Let's regroup in the street.
09:47Did you hear any noise, any movement in the house?
09:49No noise.
09:49Any movement in blinds?
09:51No.
09:51No movement.
09:52I've been watching.
09:53The reason we pulled back is because the whole squatter world is a chess match.
09:58They make a move, we make a move, and that's what they're used to, and we're just trying
10:02to out-move them.
10:10Hey, Mike.
10:10How you doing?
10:11Hey, how's it going?
10:12Good.
10:13With safety in mind, Michael's joining us.
10:15My son, Michael, is a valuable asset to the team.
10:19It is his job to get us the information on the background of these squatters.
10:23We want to make sure that there are no surprises.
10:26So please let us know who we're dealing with.
10:28So, Angelo, Steven Gonzalez, he has some charges on his record.
10:33He's got multiple burglaries.
10:35He's got a drug charge.
10:36I found that he goes by both Steven and Angelo, so it's tough to lock down the exact specifics,
10:44but it seems like you guys definitely need to be careful.
10:47Additionally, it's worth mentioning that Steven may have another family member living there.
10:52I don't know if they are dangerous or not, but it is possible they have some priors.
10:55I just can't confirm that, so just be careful.
10:58Oh, okay.
10:59So we got our hands here.
11:13Are you a little nervous?
11:15There is nothing wrong with being nervous and scared.
11:18Sometimes being scared helps you prepare.
11:21Good.
11:22And I'm just going to stay focused on gold.
11:23The last time we tried to make contact with this squatter, Steven, he claimed he wasn't
11:29there, but his truck was.
11:31So before we try to make contact again, we're going to do a little surveillance.
11:35Next step, talk to the neighbors.
11:37All right, let's do this.
11:38Hi, how are you?
11:46We are doing a case in the neighborhood, a potential squatter.
11:50If we needed to put a camera somewhere in the yard to point to that house, would that be okay with you?
11:56Yeah, I did.
11:56I knew Andy when he lived there.
12:02Oh, you knew Andy.
12:03Okay.
12:04I've seen the guy.
12:05How does that make you feel?
12:07Unsafe.
12:08Hey, how are you doing?
12:15Hey, how are you?
12:15How are you doing?
12:16Your neighbor, Andy.
12:17Yes.
12:17An individual took over his home.
12:20Okay.
12:20And if we did want to hide a camera somewhere in the yard, would that be okay with you?
12:25Okay.
12:25Now that we've assessed the situation and set up surveillance, it's time to get the squatter's attention again.
12:45Steven, I just want to have a conversation with you.
12:56We need to communicate or your face, your fiance's face, and your brother's face are going to be online today, exposing you as squatters.
13:08Can you get my brother and my girl out of it?
13:11I don't want to include anyone, but I need you to cooperate and talk to me.
13:19Okay.
13:20So noon tomorrow, is that going to be a good time for you?
13:25Okay.
13:29All right.
13:30In this case, it's not just about the house.
13:32There are valuable family heirlooms in there.
13:35This is a game.
13:36Sometimes we have to play nice to get what we want.
13:41The main objectives for today is to make contact, physical contact.
13:55He would like to keep his fiance and his brother out of it.
13:58I'm going to have pictures of his fiance and his brother.
14:00You want to keep your family members out of this, then, you know, what can you do for me?
14:04This is how we can resolve this.
14:06Although Steven has agreed to meet with us, we can't let our guard down.
14:10I've seen nice people turn aggressive.
14:12This could be a setup.
14:14This could be a trap.
14:18Justice, I want to put you around back.
14:21Do not engage.
14:22Just radio if there's any movement.
14:24Okay.
14:24Go ahead.
14:24All right, boss man.
14:25Cabinet justice, we got any movement in the rear?
14:46No, not open.
14:47Steven, are you in there?
14:59Call has been forwarded to voicemail.
15:01The person you're trying to reach is not available.
15:03We're standing down, stepping back for a moment.
15:16Copy.
15:20Justice, I want you to watch the front just in case there's movement.
15:23Yes.
15:23I also have pictures on my phone, and I'm going to send him photos of the pictures and basically
15:28say, this is what I'm going to post today if we don't talk.
15:31Just letting you know, there's people pulling up in the front of parking, just letting you
15:41know.
15:42What vehicle?
15:44It's a GMC truck with no bumper.
15:47GMC SUV.
15:48Derek, he's coming.
15:50Be aware.
15:50Just letting you know.
15:51He's coming right now.
15:52My man, can we just talk for a second, please?
16:12My man, can we just talk for a second, please?
16:18Damn.
16:26You already in?
16:27Yeah.
16:27Lock the door.
16:28Keep comfortable enough going in there by yourself, if need be.
16:48He's not going to let me in the house.
16:50He's going to come out here.
16:50How are you doing?
17:04Steven?
17:04Yeah.
17:05My name is Flash.
17:06Yes.
17:06I do appreciate you talking to me.
17:08I don't mean you in your heart.
17:10Do you know that you have warrants out for your arrest?
17:11Mm-hmm.
17:12OK.
17:13There's also investigation about you using his credit cards, Zelle, bank accounts.
17:18Oops, that it wasn't me.
17:19But it did happen after his passing.
17:21No.
17:22No?
17:22Because the evidence of the Zelle is actually after he passed.
17:26That stuff has nothing to do with me.
17:27Exactly.
17:28I know that.
17:28I report stuff, but it all comes down to you cooperating with me.
17:32And you know what?
17:32If your family is not involved, then they have nothing to worry about.
17:37OK?
17:38Yeah, it's just the fact that you have a picture of my brother.
17:40Well, I do have a picture because we have video and we have evidence that he was living in this house.
17:45He's never living in this house.
17:46OK, he was in this house on video the day, I believe, of the funeral or after the funeral or something.
17:52No, that's wrong, but OK.
17:53I don't want to have to move in here.
17:55OK.
17:55So with a lease, that's what we're prepared to do.
17:58OK.
17:58But I don't want to do that.
17:59I just wanted to try to talk to you, see if we can come up with something.
18:02You give me a date you're going to move out.
18:04I love that.
18:05And there was some personal stuff that Andy's dad was in tears telling me about a violin that was in the front closet here.
18:13We did confirm that the hospice stuff is in the garage, so if we could just slide that stuff out.
18:18I mean, they've been paying the rental on the hospice the entire time.
18:20She has it, he has it, but whatever.
18:22Let's just get some of that stuff out to make it easier because it's been on and off.
18:25Not tomorrow, tonight.
18:26I'll give you the stuff.
18:28Here's this.
18:36I know that it's that.
18:37I mean, I don't mean no harm to them either.
18:43Here we go.
18:44That's the main stuff that was I doing.
18:46OK.
18:47Can I get something from you just writing that you'll be out by the 11th?
18:51Yeah.
18:51OK.
18:56All right.
19:00In this case, we've not only recovered the family's treasured violin, we also have a signed agreement for Stephen, this squatter, to vacate.
19:22Come on in.
19:23Come on in.
19:24All right.
19:27I might need some of that.
19:29Easy game.
19:30Right, right.
19:30Finally, after a long cat and mouse game, we were able to make some sort of progress in this intervention.
19:37We were able to get some hospice supplies.
19:40And then another huge step.
19:42Justice, come on in.
19:44I do get a little sentimental, and the violin meant a lot to him.
19:59And for me to be able to receive that and be able to give it to him, that was the best thing of the day.
20:15So, we have something else, another huge step.
20:19Kathy, why don't you read this out loud for your family?
20:22I, Stephen Gonzalez, hereby confirm I will vacate the property by 11-12-24.
20:30Vacated from the property.
20:31Wow.
20:33Are you kidding me?
20:34Yes, there we go.
20:35Hugs all the way.
20:36What?
20:36All right.
20:37Yeah.
20:37I thought it was truly impossible.
20:41You have literally done the impossible.
20:48Hi, Flash.
20:48It's Kathy.
20:49And Rob, we just want to say thank you so much.
20:53Yes, thank you so much for getting this water out of my brother's house.
20:57It's just been such a relief.
21:00We can move on with our lives.
21:02We can do the grieving process.
21:04He's finally out.
21:05He's finally out.
21:06Really, from the bottom of our heart.
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