Delight for Costa Blanca residents as squatters who threatened to ‘kill their pets’ disappear – but ransack property and leave dog behind
RESIDENTS of an Alicante urbanisation are breathing a sigh of relief after a gang of squatters who threatened them and their pets appear to have left.
No sign of them has been seen in over a week, but they appear to have taken everything from within the property they were squatting in – leaving behind just a dog.
The intruders moved into the empty home in the gated community of Lo Crispin near the town of Algorfa in late June under the apparent direction of an organised criminal group.
A nasty confrontation took place as residents tried to rebuild a wall the squatters had smashed down to get into the home.
The criminal leaders – one a pregnant woman clutching a baby and another described as an ‘evil man’ – attempted to rip down the repairs, injuring one resident’s hand in the process.
The man even made a throat-slitting gesture to Elizalde, promising to run him over if he saw him in the street.
Community president Daniel Elizalde Elizalde told the Olive Press that the property had been empty for about two weeks until last Saturday – apart from a dog, which had been left to fend for itself during an August heatwave.
“Some of the neighbours noticed that there had been very little movement, that there was no one there, but understandably they were a bit afraid to go and see for themselves,” he said.
“The lights were on, but there were no cars and no signs of life, apart from this dog that we could see whining and in distress.
“We figured that no one was taking care of it, so we went over and left it some food and water, because the weather conditions were totally unbearable.”
That’s when they saw the true state the squatters had left the three-bedroom bank-owned villa worth around €180,000.
All the furniture and appliances were gone – even the upstairs airconditioning units had been removed from the walls.
The floors were covered in dog faeces and to add insult to injury, it seemed that the squatters had deliberately left all the lights on and the downstairs air conditioner running on max.
READ MORE: Squatters get rent collector and ‘large men’ arrested for staging violent eviction in Spain
“It looked like they had taken everything that wasn’t nailed down,” Elizalde said.
The community was still unsure if the intruders planned on returning, with the abandoned dog serving to ‘hold’ the property in their absence.
But the dog mysteriously vanished last Saturday, leaving the Lo Crispin community to conclude that they have gone for good.
“All the media pressure definitely helped. We even had a television news crew up here the other week, which I think made them very uncomfortable.”
But while the nightmare might be over for the quiet residential community, Elizalde believes the problem has just been transferred somewhere else.
“I understand that this group of squatters has found another home to occupy in a different community, one that’s a little easier for them.
READ MORE: Elderly couple’s nightmare ends after British squatter leaves Mallorca apartment- owing over €20k
“I’m very proud of how the community banded together to confront the squatters – which wasn’t easy – in a peaceful and legal way. We got them out using fair means.”
Elizalde also came to the defence of the Policia Local and Guarda Civil, who many residents have accused of sitting on their hands and doing nothing.
“They helped us as much as they could within the law, but their hands were tied. The laws of the country meant they couldn’t really do much.
“The family that was actually living in the property, they weren’t violent or aggressive,” he continued.
READ MORE: Anti-squatter plan launched in Valencia after record number of complaints in 2024
“It’s the organised gangs that seek out empty apartments and for others to squat in – they are the ones who made the threats.
“It’s crazy what they do – they ‘rent’ these properties out to poor and desperate families – they were charging them €1,000 a month to live there with a fake contract to live in this three-bed villa with a pool.
“They even had an electricity contract for the property which was legit – someone from the utility company told me. I don’t understand how they did that.”
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