Coming Home
She never saw this coming. As soon as she returned from her vacation, she walked straight into a living nightmare. When she finally made it back to her home, she discovered something that no homeowner should ever have to encounter.
She couldn't believe it. An entire group had formed and her blood was boiling. What made her the angriest was the injustice of it all. She had few options, but she knew that she had to do something about this.
Crystal Taylor
Crystal Taylor was beyond pleased when she bought her large, dream house in Broken Arrow, which was close to Tulsa in northeast Oklahoma. Her favorite feature was the property's luxurious pool and spacious garage.
Shortly after purchasing the house, she headed off on a summer vacation to Cabo. But she had no idea that her house was anything but safe without her there. All along, people had been keeping a close eye on her house.
Enjoying Her Vacation
She was enjoying her vacation on the Mexican coast, her home was out of sight, out of mind. But little did she know that 1,250 miles away, in Broke Arrow, a large group of people were getting ready to invade her home.
It was 3:00 a.m. when the noises began waking neighbors. These neighbors couldn't help but notice that something was happening in front of Crystal's garage door.
Their Entry Point
The group of people worked together as they broke the garage door open, preparing to use it as their main entry point to the house. They were acting like it was their property to enter and leave as they pleased.
Once they had gotten into the large house, they started making themselves comfortable. They had established that, for all intents and purposes, the beautiful house was no longer Crystal's.
Bringing Their Pets
Labeling themselves the "new tenants" of the house, they decided that it was time to bring their pets into their new home. Soon enough five acts and a dog joined them.
They settled themselves into the bedrooms, throwing down their mattresses and packing their possessions into the cupboards. Now, they were finally ready to host their housewarming pool party…
Blissfully Unaware
Crystal was on vacation for a week and a half, and during this time, she was blissfully unaware of what was happening to her brand-new home. But back in Broken Arrow, her neighbors were growing worried.
But Crystal's vacation was cut short when one of her neighbors called and informed her of the uninvited guests. She booked the first flight home and when she stepped through her front door, she was completely blindsided.
Horrific Transformation
It wasn't even two weeks since she had left and in that time, her home had undergone a horrific transformation. She wasted no time calling BAPD officers and asked them to help her get her house back.
But they could not find any evidence of a break-in so they made no arrests. Instead, they issued a warning to the group for trespassing.
The Damage
It didn't take long before she realized that her house had sustained thousands of dollars worth of damage. The group had splashed paint on all of the walls and there were pet litter boxes in every room in the house.
The floor was covered in cigarette butts and garbage, and there were stains all over the floors and walls. Her heart broke when she realized that the new wood floors were severely damaged and electronics had actually been pulled from the walls.
Roaches Everywhere
But it got even worse. Crystal felt her stomach drop when she opened the fridge and watched as roaches scattered around inside. She had to take deep breaths, feeling like she was about to be sick.
But besides the roaches, she also stumbled upon millions of tiny bedbugs in the bedrooms. She knew how hard it was to get rid of them. “It’s all dirty. It just feels dirty,” she told Inside Edition.
Speaking To News On 6
When she was asked what her property looked like when she came home from Cabo, she explained to News On 6, “It was awful. It looked like I was in some homeless shelter with mattresses everywhere.”
She added, “It was a shock. I didn’t understand how people could do that… I was so furious, but there was nothing I could do.”
No Arrests
Crystal was furious that no arrests were made for breaking and entering, and there was a reason for that. There was one significant detail that made the police officer’s job more difficult, however.
The so-called squatters said that they found the property available for rent on Craigslist. They were even able to show that they had a signed rental lease.
A Fake
Upon closer inspection, the rental form showed that it listed the owner of the house as being one Steven Parker.
And after some investigation, Crystal found a box of blank lease forms in the garage – Had the squatters had faked their own rental agreement? According to one squatter, Cherie, she had been given a key.
A Different Story
She told Inside Edition, “It was the second or third day [when] we noticed our keys didn’t turn. I’m sorry. I had nothing to do with it.”
She said that when her key stopped working, she and her fellow residents then entered the house via the garage – apparently without being concerned about what had happened. “I am innocent in this,” Cherie said. “I didn’t scam anyone.”
Very Suspicious
Another member of the group, Dale Makins, admitted that the circumstances of their move-in might well have seemed suspicious. “I know it reeks, it looks bad on us, but with the lease, we got Shanghaied,” Dale told News On 6.
“She’s being nice enough to let us get our stuff. We’ll go to another place. We’re gonna research the house before we even move in.”
Justice Wanted
After Crystal, the rightful owner of the home returned she wanted to see justice done and the culprits punished, however. Crystal told News On 6, “It should be breaking and entering.
They broke into my home, they crawled underneath the garage, they have vandalized my home. They have brought roaches and bedbugs into the house and nothing’s being done.”
In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.