A man returned home from work in the south of Tenerife on Sunday, and was shocked to find two squatters, a man and a woman, inside his apartment when he opened the front door.
The incident, which occurred in Costa del Silencio, led to the swift arrest of the intruders by the Local Police on charges of illegal trespassing.
The victim, who had been working throughout Saturday night and into the early hours of Sunday, arrived at his apartment in the Chaparral complex on Avenida José Antonio Tavío, to find the couple in his apartment.
According to witnesses, when confronted, the woman began shouting and claimed that the owner had given her a key to enter the property.
The male squatter offered a different explanation, claiming that he believed the apartment belonged to the woman. He said he had met her the previous night and that she had invited him to ‘her apartment’.
Residents on the complex, when questioned by the police, confirmed that the man who had just arrived from work was the one who lived there, and had been doing so for approximately three years and was able to present a valid rental contract dated 2024, providing clear evidence of his legal occupancy.
The swift and effective response of Arona’s Local Police was praised by neighbours, who expressed their relief that a potentially serious situation had been averted.
Following their arrest, the two suspects were taken to the holding cells at the main Guardia Civil station in Playa de las Américas. They will now face judicial proceedings for the alleged offence of illegal occupation of the property.
