NORTH FULTON, Ga — Sandy Springs police have arrested a man they said broke into a house and lived there illegally.
Kevin Smalls, 33, faces criminal trespass charges.
Realtor Gary Ross told Channel 2 he went to do a final walk-through at the Garmon Road home last week for the buyer of the foreclosure and noticed something out of place.
“I opened the property up, and when we went inside, I noticed there was clothing and other items in the property that shouldn’t have been there,” he said. “As I was walking through the property, I heard noises upstairs and I decided the best thing I could do was to leave and call the police.”
When officers arrived, they said Smalls refused to come to do the door and held up paperwork he claimed proved he was the home’s rightful owner.
When police came back with arrest warrants, they told Channel 2’s Mike Petchenik the Cobb County man wasn’t there.
“The owner of the property came in and changed the locks,” said Sgt. Ron Momon with the Sandy Springs Police Department. “Interestingly, we received a call from Mr. Smalls the next day, called 911, said someone was in his home. Someone had broken into his home.”
Momon said officers went back to the house and arrested Smalls.
Ross said he was glad police acted quickly.
“My buyers were really interested in the house and they were pretty upset,” said Ross. “I think breaking into a house, whether they say they own it or not, is not the right thing to do.”