Two men took it upon themselves to try to evict alleged squatters from a New York City home, after the homeowner was arrested for changing the locks, on Tuesday afternoon.
"We are looking to get this guy out," one of the men told the Daily Mail. "I am here to talk to him. I want to see why he is here."
The saga began a month ago when Adele Andaloro says she discovered three people living inside her Queens home. Andaloro was in the process of selling that property after her mother died and a former tenant moved out, but when she visited the house the locks were changed.
"I'm really fearful that these people are going to get away with stealing my home," she told WABC.
Andaloro attempted to evict the people living at her house but under New York law, squatters have rights after residing in a property for 30 days. When she called the police she was told that the situation was a landlord-tenant dispute that would have to be resolved in housing court.
Andaloro was subsequently arrested for changing the locks - which could be considered unlawful eviction, WABC reported.
As the situation unfolded, Andaloro's neighbors were also growing increasingly agitated by the alleged squatters' presence.
"We all know what they are up to, so we're all kind of pissed about it," one neighbor told the Daily Mail. "I heard a drill and saw through my window that they were drilling holes into the wall and putting up boards."
The two men who attempted to remove the squatters did not share their identities with witnesses. It is unclear if they have any connection to Andaloro or other people in the neighborhood.
The men reportedly pulled into the driveway and unsuccessfully tried to confront the people living inside. None of the people residing in the house responded to people knocking on the door.
