75-year-old homeowner suffers heart attack when he discovers his house has been occupied by squatters

US News

From Ronny Reyes

A 75-year-old man suffered a stress-induced heart attack after learning that his Arkansas home had been invaded by a group of squatters who had been searching Google for tips on how to claim someone else’s home without getting punished and without taking their money.

Kelly DeShields, 54, and Matthew Villagran, 46, had occupied Gary Brankel’s Maysville home for at least a month and said they believed it had been unoccupied for years, local news station KNWA reported.

However, Brankel had been in a treatment facility to recover from an illness and upon his return on May 30, he discovered that the couple had illegally occupied his apartment.

According to a probable cause affidavit, DeShields allegedly claimed ownership of the home after following instructions she found on Google.

“She found information on the Internet that led her to believe she could acquire the property by paying the property taxes and maintaining the house and grounds,” the document states.

Deshields then showed Benton County Sheriff’s Office detectives a receipt from the Gravette Tax Office showing that she had paid $162 in tax fees on Brankel’s home on May 1.

She later admitted that no one at the tax office had told her that she was allowed to occupy the land.

The couple is also accused of burning Brankel’s personal documents and home accessories after falsely claiming ownership of the home. Officials said they found a “fresh” burn pile on the property with several destroyed items that were Brankel’s property.

Officials said Brankel was hospitalized again after suffering a heart attack “due to the stress caused by the squatters.”

His current condition remains unclear, but he was able to confirm that he neither recognized DeShields and Villagran nor ever gave them permission to occupy his home.

DeShields and Villagran were eventually arrested on June 5 and charged with burglary.

The duo is in custody at the Benton County Detention Center. DeShields is being held on $25,000 bail and Villagran is being held on $15,000 bail.

Her court date is scheduled for July 15.