Woman arrested for changing locks to her house to evict squatters who illegally took over her property

Wednesday, March 20, 2024 – A woman was arrested and placed in handcuffs for changing the locks to her property in an attempt to remove squatters out of the $1,000,000 house she inherited from her dead parents in Queens, NY.

Adele Andaloro, 47, was busted for unlawful eviction of a tenant after changing the locks last month on the $1 million home in Flushing, Queens

“It’s enraging,” the homeowner said of the squatter saga. “It’s not fair that I, as the homeowner, have to be going through this.”

Andaloro claims the ordeal erupted when she started the process of trying to sell the home last month but realized squatters had moved in and they brazenly replaced the entire front door and locks.

She said she got fed up, and went to her family’s home on 160th Street on Feb. 29 and called a locksmith to change the locks for her.

A heated argument with the people occupying the house quickly unfolded.

The police were eventually called, and escorted two people off the property.

Two of the squatters

In New York City, a person can claim “squatter’s rights” after just 30 days of living at a property.

Under the law, it is illegal for the homeowner to change the locks, turn off the utilities, or remove the belongings of the “tenants” from the property.

“By the time someone does their investigation, their work, and their job, it will be over 30 days and this man will still be in my home,” Andaloro said.

“I’m really fearful that these people are going to get away with stealing my home,” she added.

During the recent encounter at her home, Andaloro — who was armed with the deeds — was filmed entering the property after one of the squatters left the front door open.

After changing the locks, a man who said he was leading the property — identified by the local outlet as Brian Rodriguez — returned and barged through the front door.

“You shouldn’t be trying to steal my house,” a furious Andaloro yelled at him during the caught-on-camera ordeal.

Following a flurry of 911 calls, responding cops told Andaloro she had to sort the saga out in housing court because it was considered a “landlord-tenant issue.”

Andaloro was ultimately given an unlawful eviction charge because she had changed the locks and hadn’t provided a new key to the person staying there, the NYPD confirmed to The Post.

She was slapped with a criminal court summons, cops added.

While homeowner Andalaro was led away in cuffs, the squatters were allowed to stay by the police.