Trying to sell a home turned surreal for a Virginia property owner when a family of five showed up and refused to leave, even under threat of arrest, according to investigators.
It happened around 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 9, in a neighborhood north of Stafford, about a 65-mile drive north from Richmond.
“The victim advised he arrived at his residence to discover a man and four children inside,” the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
“When deputies arrived, they would observe the five uninvited guests still within the residence. Deputies requested the suspect to step out, but instead he would just stare out the window at them.”
That forced deputies to go inside and arrest the man, who proved to be vaguely familiar to the homeowner.
It turned out the suspect had toured the home during a July 7 open house, “where he inquired about buying the residence,” officials said.
“Apparently, the suspect liked the house, for he prematurely moved in,” the sheriff’s office said.
The 39-year-old suspect gave deputies a false name, but they later discovered he was out on probation and had warrants for his arrest in two nearby counties, officials said.
He was arrested and charged with entering a property with intent to damage, identity theft, providing a false identity to law enforcement, destruction of property and four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, officials said.
“Child Protective Services took possession of the children to release them to a responsible family member,” officials said.
©2024 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
