Slumdog townhouse squatters
3 busted in Upper East Side manse
Three squatters were busted Friday in an empty multimillion-dollar Manhattan townhouse owned by a designer to the stars.
Cops raided the Upper East Side home owned by Richard Stark, co-founder of Chrome Hearts, a luxury retail brand celebrated by the likes of Jay-Z and Bella Hadid for its edgy silver jewelry and black clothes.
Charges have not yet been filed against the woman and two men found at the more than 5,000-square-foot home at 159 E. 64th St., which was put up for sale in 2013 for $14 million and taken off the market the following year.
The store inside the massive home closed around a decade ago, and it appears the four-story townhouse has been sitting empty since.
Neighbor Joel Mindel, 82, and his wife, Susan, who have lived on the block since the 1980s, said the building has long been in disrepair and causes problems on the street.
“They had all these notices on the door for Con Ed to go inside to check the water or electricity. All these notices piled up and became violations on the Web site,” Susan Mindel said.
“We don’t like abandoned buildings on our street. It’s a threat,” Joel Mindel said. “Someone can always get in, like a robber can get in and go on the roof to get into our home. It’s not safe.”
As of Friday afternoon, Chrome Hearts was unaware of the arrests and any police activity at the home, a spokesperson said. But pictures show a few officers at the home, leading the squatters into a cop car and an ambulance around 11:30 a.m.
The stunning house features four bedrooms and four bathrooms, according to Zillow, and has its own courtyard. On Friday, it was evident the house had been long-forgotten, with a pile of leaves blocking the entrance and the first floor devoid of furniture.
Chrome Hearts has stores all around the world and celebs including Cher, Kanye West and Elton John have been spotted in the brand.