The squatter had trapped more than a dozen emaciated dogs and cats in a Queens home, turning it into a home of stomach-churning horrors, according to police and a Post investigation.
Police said Cory Elder, 43, left poop in the Rockaway home before he was arrested Monday and charged with animal cruelty, animal abuse and injury, drug possession and possession of stolen property. It was said to be filled with junk, drugs, and even pornographic photos.
Police believe at least some of the starved animals were stolen, along with a collection of license plates from various states and other items The Post saw during a tour of the home.
“I went and I came back and he was here,” said the homeowner, who requested anonymity. “He broke in through this window in May and took his girlfriend, two children and 13 dogs with him. He’s terrorizing the whole neighborhood.
“There’s dog poop all over the floor,” she said. “It’s disgusting. Every step you take is poop.”
The homeowner said he had just returned from a five-day Memorial Day vacation to find one of his duplex apartments turned into a nightmare, with uninvited guests trapped inside.
On Wednesday, there was a layer of poop in the basement alongside piles of trash, so much trash piled up all over the room that it was difficult to walk around. According to the owner, the squatters also removed surveillance cameras and cut off the electricity to the adjacent apartment, making it essentially uninhabitable for the winter.
The living room was also littered with car parts, including the hood, clothing with tags still attached, and license plates from Texas, Georgia, Maryland, and Arkansas.
“The first day I came back, I noticed a car parked in the backyard. The backyard is not a driveway,” the homeowner said. “We called 911, they showed up, and we went to the property with police.
“He wasn’t here, but his girlfriend was. She lied to the police and said, ‘I’ve been living here for three months.’ “We were only gone for five days.”
But the false allegations were enough to land the homeowner in legal tangles. Under city law, individuals can claim occupancy if they occupy a property for at least 30 days, making it difficult to evict them.
One neighbor said she called 311 six weeks ago to complain about animal cruelty after several dogs were tied up and left on her front porch.
“The barking was constant, but it sounded like she was crying or screaming,” said a neighbor who asked not to be named. “We only saw three dogs and they looked completely haggard. One day he tied them up on the porch outside his front door.
“They were always in the house and the music was loud at night, as if they were having a party.”
The homeowner, who had to hire a lawyer after his eviction order was ignored, said he finally got a break this week when Elder was picked up by police and charged.
Repairs are currently underway, but she is still concerned that the headaches are not completely over.
“Now that he’s gone, I feel vindicated,” she added. “[But] She is worried that he will come back for revenge. ”
Meanwhile, New York City police have issued an alert to identify the owners of emaciated dogs found inside homes, many of which are believed to have been stolen, police said.
