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Man, woman arrested for squatting in Florida home after neighbor becomes suspicious: SCSO

By and
Updated  January 8, 2025 6:58pm EST
Sarasota County
FOX 13 News

Suspected squatters arrested from Nokomis home

FOX 13's Kim Kuizon reports on a man and a woman who were arrested for squatting in Nokomis home after neighbors became suspicious they did not have permission to be on the property.

The Brief

    • Two arrests were made by the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office after a man and woman were found squatting in a Nokomis home.
    • A neighbor became suspicious that the two were squatting, and she contacted authorities.
    • The pair also pressure washed the home and attempted to rent it out to other people.

NOKOMIS, Fla. - A man and woman were arrested at a home in Nokomis after a neighbor suspected that the two were squatting, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office.

Laura Santos, 45, and Daniel Sablich, 38, are accused of squatting in the home after pressure washing and attempting to rent it out to other people.

Courtesy: Sarasota County Sheriff's Office.

Suspecting neighbors near Nash Avenue in Nokomis say they noticed two people cleaning up a house that had sat empty.

"They were working over there. Nobody paid attention to that because they seemed very confident as to what they were doing," said neighbor Jorge Velazquez.

Velazquez says the neighborhood has been cleaning up post-hurricane season.

"They had a pickup truck, a water tank, and a water pressure, so it totally made sense because everybody in their surroundings was cleaning up," Velazquez said.
Across the street, one neighbor who knew the previous owner knew something was up and called deputies.

"We had a neighbor in this case who was very diligent, made the call, and we were able to go over there, investigate and interview and find out it was a fraud," said Sheriff Kurt Hoffman of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.

READ: Suspected jury duty scammers arrested for bilking Sarasota woman out of $12K: DOJ

Investigators said Sablich's claim to neighbors that he had permission to be on the property, and Santos' claim that the pair were close to the family who owns the home and were hired to clean it, were both false.

The Sarasota home squatters are accused of living in.

The Sarasota home squatters are accused of living in.

Another red flag came after Santos asked the neighbor for money to pressure wash the home, before another neighbor found a Facebook post listing the home for rent at $900 a month.

Deputies talked to the actual homeowner in Jacksonville, who had no idea who Santos and Sablich were.

"Some of these scams will go beyond the initial money that they’re taking from people on the front end, and they’re trying to get control of the property and do this on a more long-term basis," said Hoffman.

Hoffman says that House Bill 621 has made getting squatters out much easier.

"I know it was frustrating for people. I know how long it was taking 6-8 months through the regular eviction process," Hoffman said. "Unfortunately, there was somebody who was perpetrating this fraud, but with the new statute, we were able to go in and affect an arrest." 
 

The Sarasota home squatters are accused of living in.

The Sarasota home squatters are accused of living in.

That’s what happened here.

"The fact they were actually arresting the people that were trespassing, that’s a different stor,y so good for them," said Velazquez.

Santos faces multiple charges, including fraud, burglary, marijuana possession, and using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.

Santos remains in jail, while Sablich has been released on bail on a burglary charge.

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The Source: This story was written with information from the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office.

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