The intruder claimed he was in a rental home. Lauren Coronado reports for Today in LA on Thursday Oct. 17, 2024.
A squatter in a Van Nuys home under renovation was arrested early Thursday morning after he was confronted by the homeowner, who said this wasn't the first time he encountered the man on his property.
The homeowner, who said he and family members had just returned from his mother's funeral, was taking out the trash at about 1 a.m. outside the house in the 13000 block of Heart Street when he noticed a second-floor light was on.
He knocked on the locked front door several times. When someone finally answered, the homeowner said he was attacked. The owner subdued the man until police arrived, authorities said.
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"He tried to attack me, so that's when I gave him a couple of them," said the homeowner, identified as Mike. "That's when I said, 'Slow down.' He's lucky. I'm licensed and armed.
"It's not right. My kids are here. I spend a lot of money and pay taxes, but I don't feel safe."
The homeowner said this was the second time he found the man squatting at the house, which had just been built and was undergoing renovations. In the first encounter, Mike said he chased the man down the street.
The intruder claimed he was renting an Airbnb, Mike said.
The man was transported from the scene in an ambulance. Details about his condition were not immediately available.
