National Park Vacation Home Squatter Gets Serious Jail Time
A man accused of squatting in a vacation home in a popular national park has been sentenced to five years in prison.
Squatters and nightmare Airbnb guests are seemingly a common problem these days, leaving many vacation home owners to deal with unwanted visitors on their property. One California man was just slapped with a five-year prison sentence for unlawfully squatting in a vacation home.
Twenty-nine-year-old Devin Michael Cuellar was allegedly staying at a home in Wawona, CA illegally during the summer of 2021, according to a federal complaint. The home is located in Yosemite National Park, making it a popular choice for people looking to visit. But when the homeowner went to check on the property that August, she was horrified by what she found: furniture, clothes, tools, and garbage strewn across the kitchen, yard, bathroom, bedrooms, and living room. She also allegedly found drug paraphernalia and various stolen items including tools and golf clubs.
The owner had last been on the property that spring and left it spotless, so Cuellar settled in at some point after that.
"The entire house was cluttered and soiled. The bathtub had been left partially filled with water and the toilet contained large clumps of hair," the complaint said, per NBC News. "An ashtray containing numerous cigarette butts and ashes was left on a table in a small bedroom adjacent to the bathroom, and partially burned candles were also there." Authorities even found mail with his name on it.
Interestingly enough, Cuellar wasn't exactly a stranger. He knew the homeowner's daughter but hadn't been given permission to stay at the house. After he was kicked out, the homeowner later discovered a shotgun and ammunition on the property.
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Cuellar was indicted last year on multiple charges including possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon, unlawful use of a controlled substance in possession of firearm and ammunition, destruction of property, and having stolen property. He was prohibited from having a firearm due to a prior conviction. He pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon in May 2023.
Rather than squat in a national park, why not just camp there?