Police descend on vacant house

‘It was not believable inside. It was in bad condition,’ realtor says

KITCHENER — Heavily armed tactical officers descended on a boarded-up house on Guelph Street Wednesday, over concerns that an armed squatter was living inside.

The two-storey yellow brick home at 18 Guelph St. has sat vacant since October — and has apparently been attracting homeless people all winter, according to neighbours.

On Wednesday morning, owner Sasa Filipovic was preparing for a realtor’s showing when he unlocked the door and heard a man’s voice inside.

Waterloo Regional Police were called and eventually arrested a squatter who looked to be in his 30s, taking a sleeping bag and other personal items. It appeared as if he had been living there for some time.

“It looked like a hostel for homeless people,” said realtor Ana Mladineo. “It was not believable inside. It was in bad condition.”

Police were concerned when the realtor told them she’d seen a pistol in the attic the day before. A tense scene ensued after the WRPS’ tactical unit was called in, shutting down the street while officers surrounded the house with guns drawn.

“They had their big guns out, the protective shields, the dog and everything” said Helmut Kruschat, who lives across the street. “They were standing in front of the door for more than an hour before they got in.”

Multiple marked and unmarked police vehicles crowded the residential block that abuts Moore Avenue. Police couldn’t say if the arrested man would face charges, but seized a pistolstyle pellet gun.

Filipovic said the concerns were overblown.

“It became a big deal over a little broken Airsoft gun,” he said. “I just walked in the house, somebody yelled ‘hello’ from inside, so I called the police.”

After a police dog was sent in, the tactical officers entered oneby-one, Kruschat said, but by then it appeared as if no one else was left in the building.

An hour after police left, another realtor was already taking more prospective buyers through the property.

Filipovic says he bought the building last fall intending to flip it, but listed it for sale this week because he doesn’t time for the renovation. The heat and power was left on to keep the pipes from freezing.

Keeping squatters out has been a chronic problem, the realtor said.

“We’ve been dealing with homeless people since October. They keep breaking in,” Mladineo said.

“This guy even brought his own TV.”

Kruschat said the plywood over the windows seems to be attracting people looking for a place to sleep, he said.

“Once you see those windows are boarded up, they probably see it as a chance to stay for a while,” Kruschat said.