The man who went viral after getting a Queens homeowner arrested for trying to reclaim her own house is now behind bars, and the jaw-dropping case is back in the spotlight.
Brian Rodriguez was caught illegally living in and renting out a family home in Queens, N.Y., that belonged to Adele Andaloro, ABC7 reported.
The story is the focus of an episode in the Hulu docuseries Squatters: Get the [Expletive] Out of My House, which premiered on Wednesday, June 4.
ABC7
The property had long been a family home for Andaloro, who moved there at age 6 and later raised two children there herself, People reported. She left the property in September 2019 after her father passed away and her mother was diagnosed with dementia.
For years, Andaloro continued checking on the home. That changed in February 2024 when she found the locks and front door had been replaced, according to the Queens District Attorney’s office.
Rodriguez later told police the property belonged to him and that the people inside were his tenants, Newsweek reported.
When Andaloro showed up with an ABC7 camera crew and a locksmith to change the locks, Rodriguez called 911. The homeowner was the one who ended up in handcuffs, Fox News confirmed.
ABC7
“Me being driven away in a police car and seeing Brian in the doorway of my house was unreal,” Andaloro says in the Hulu series.
Once the story went viral, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz launched an investigation.
Official court records show Rodriguez was hit with charges including burglary, grand larceny and possession of stolen property.
Fox News reported that Rodriguez faced up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
He later pleaded guilty to falsely reporting an incident as part of a plea agreement, according to the DA’s office. The sentence included two years in prison and five years of supervision, as per the court records.
The NYPD cleared the squatters from the home in March 2024, but the property had been extensively damaged.
Rodriguez is currently serving his sentence, ABC7 confirmed.
The bizarre case also prompted New York lawmakers to pass legislation that no longer classifies squatters as tenants, making it easier for police to intervene and remove them, as per the outlet.
This story Squatter Who Went Viral for Getting NYC Homeowner Arrested Is Finally Serving Jail Time first appeared on Globe. Follow Globe on Yahoo so you don’t miss what’s coming next.