A 75-year-old man tragically suffered a heart attack ‘due to stress’ after he discovered that his home had been occupied by squatters while he was away receiving medical treatment.
On May 30, as Gary Brankel was recuperating in a treatment facility, his caretaker visited his Maysville, Arkansas home to retrieve some of his belongings. To their surprise, they encountered Kelly DeShields, 54, and Matthew Villagran, 46, living inside the house.
The caretaker immediately contacted Brankel, who confirmed that he had not authorized anyone to stay at his residence. The authorities were quickly notified, with a deputy from the Benton Country Sheriff’s Office responding to the scene at approximately 11:30am, according to a report by KNWA Fox 234.
The investigation, initiated for trespassing, revealed through a probable cause affidavit that upon their arrival, DeShields admitted to the deputy that she did not have Brankel’s permission to occupy the house. She claimed to have found information online suggesting she could acquire the property by paying the property taxes and looking after the house and land. DeShields even presented a receipt showing she had paid $162 in assessment fees for the property.
It was uncovered that DeShields and Villagran had been squatting in the residence for at least a month. Disturbingly, the affidavit highlighted the presence of a ‘fresh burn pile’ near Brankel’s garage, where some of his personal items were found burnt.
The revelation of strangers living in his home and the violation of his personal space proved too overwhelming for Brankel.
Authorities reported to The New York Post that Brankel’s heart attack was ‘due to the stress caused by the squatters.’
Following the incident, on June 5, DeShields and Villagran were arrested and charged with residential burglary.
Both individuals are currently detained at the Benton County Detention Center, with Villagran held on a $15,000 bond and DeShields on a $25,000 bond. Their court appearance is scheduled for July 15.
If you or someone you know is facing a crisis or struggling, assistance is available through Mental Health America. You can call or text 988 to connect with a 24-hour crisis center or use the webchat service at 988lifeline.org. Additionally, the Crisis Text Line is accessible by texting MHA to 741741.