TPD Serves Search Warrant On Home Occupied By 'Squatters'

Police said someone tried to steal a Tulsa home by moving in and changing the locks, and that they almost got away with it.

Wednesday night, police arrested Tommy Wroten and Bonnie Foster on drug charges.

Police are also looking for Christopher Wroten, 36, who they say, waited for the homeowners to die, broke in and took possession of the house.

County assessor records show the home belongs to Betty and Lavon Kastner - both died over a year ago.

So, for at least a year, there’s been no running water or electricity in the house on East Marshall Street, but that didn’t stop the squatters from turning the house into their home.

Neighbors said they’ve been a nuisance and are happy to see them gone.

"We believe a few of the things they did to try to disguise their criminal activity is to go as far as break in and change the locks  so they would have a key to the home to try to have mail sent here," said Corporal Jason Muse with Tulsa police.

The city is boarding up the home and cleaning the property now, but neighbors said they've made nuisance complaints ever since the new people moved in, and things just got worse.

Neighbor Briana Gomez said, "Yeah, meth, a lot of cars would come, a lot of different people, and there was just tons of them.”

People living nearby said the squatters would make a lot of noise and steal water and electricity from other homes. They also suspect some drug activity, and police believe they’re right.

Muse said, "The people who had moved in after the homeowners died were actually running a generator outside of the home and causing problems day and night for the neighborhood."

Police said it's been hard to determine who actually owns the house, but they know it's not the people who'd been living there.

"We're going to interview everybody, see exactly what their claim is to this home and see why they feel they need to be here," Muse said.
Police said they found meth, six stolen trailers, two vehicles and a number of other stolen items.

The city will be back out Thursday to finish cleaning up the yard.

Police said it's likely the city will take ownership of the house.