What to Know
- A 49 -year-old woman could spend up to 15 years in prison after being indicted for allegedly squatting in a vacant Queens home, the local district attorney's office said.
- Laurel Bay was indicted Thursday on burglary, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, petit larceny and criminal possession of stolen property, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.
- Bay was arrested twice after allegedly being seen coming out of a basement window.
A 49-year-old woman could spend up to 15 years in prison for allegedly squatting in a vacant Queens home, the local district attorney's office said.
Laurel Bay was indicted Thursday on burglary, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, petit larceny and criminal possession of stolen property, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.
She is expected to return to court Nov. 26. If convicted of the top count, Bay could face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
According to Katz, Bay illegally occupied a single-family home in Howard Beach that had been vacant since 2012, although the homeowner was managing the property from out of state.
On July 18, at around 8:40 p.m. an eyewitness saw Bay allegedly move items in and out of the home located on 99th Street. Police were called and they subsequently saw her crawl out of the basement window of the home, the district attorney said, citing the charges. Bay was arrested and issued a ticket for criminal trespass.
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However, several days later, on July 21, at around 9:20 a.m., the same eyewitness allegedly saw items moved around inside the home and the basement door open. Police were called once again, and, yet again, Bay was allegedly seen coming out of a basement window. She was arrested again and issued a second ticket for criminal trespass.
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Allegedly, the locks on the front and back doors were damaged because Bay allegedly tried to change the locks.
“It is against the law to walk into someone else’s home without permission and claim you have a right to stay – even if a property is vacant" Katz said. "This defendant is accused of illegally trespassing onto someone else’s property and trying to claim the home as her own. Thanks to the vigilance of nearby neighbors, my office was promptly alerted and the defendant has now been indicted on serious charges.”
