UPDATE: Serial Squatter Arrested on Colorado Charges
By Mark Ackerman
BRIGHTON, Colo. (CBS4) - Police in Thornton arrested the woman known as the "serial squatter" Friday morning inside the Adams County Courthouse.
As CBS4 first reported Monday, landlords in both Thornton and Broomfield accused Heather Schwab and her husband William, of squatting in their rental properties without paying any rent.
Monday, Schwab was arrested for felony theft for failing to pay more than $4,000 in back rent at a home on East 139th Place in Thornton. Before that, she rented a home on Briarwood Drive in Broomfield. Both landlords say they had no option other than to initiate eviction proceedings against the Schwabs.
The landlords on East 139th Place in Thornton and Briarwood Drive in Broomfield say they had no option other than to initiate eviction proceedings against the Schwabs.
"They've been doing this for over 10 years," said Debra Kuzemchak, the Broomfield landlord. "There must be some sort of thrill that they get."
Kuzemchak said the Schwabs used a relative's name to get around her credit company's background check. She realized there was a problem when the bank wouldn't cash the Schwab's very first check.
The Schwabs, who also go by the names "Jenkins", "Rayes and "Ruybal", have been evicted more than 20 times in Texas for failing to pay rent as chronicled in a series of reports filed by our CBS sister station KTVT in Dallas.
In fact, Heather Schwab is wanted on criminal theft charges in Texas and was in court for an extradition hearing when she was arrested by Thornton police.
Heather Schwab would only say, "no comment on advice of her attorney" when CBS4 asked her if she had any explanation for the home-hopping and string of foreclosures.
Mark Ackerman is a Special Projects Producer at CBS4. Follow him on Twitter @ackermanmark