Tense confrontation: Homeowner wrestles armed squatter in rental property

Homeowner fights off armed squatter inside his home

A homeowner fights off an armed squatter inside his home. It happened on Ivey Point Court in Lawrenceville. Police say that homeowner and a handyman held the suspect until officers arrived.

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - Squatting continues to be a problem in Georgia. 

The latest incident involves a homeowner, a handyman, and an armed squatter.

What we know:

The homeowner took a handyman to his rental property to make a minor repair. But when they got there, they found a mess. "I didn’t know what happened, I didn’t know why he was there," said the homeowner, who asked to remain anonymous. "On the floor, broken glass, we realized the window had been broken."

It happened last Thursday. Someone had broken in and begun squatting in the home.

What they're saying:

The homeowner tells FOX 5 he walked into a bathroom. "It was all bloody, blood everywhere," the homeowner said.

He began searching the rest of the house. "I tried to open the closet to make sure that everything was good; that’s when I saw somebody standing, ready," the homeowner said.

The homeowner stood face-to-face with the intruder. "I was scared; I was like, ‘What are you doing here?’"

His patience wore thin. "I said, ‘Okay, out!’"

The intruder put up a fight. "He was resisting as I pulled him out; then we started wrestling," the homeowner said.

The homeowner says the guy tried to grab a backpack. "He said, ‘Let me call my mom.’ I said, ‘No, you’re not going to call your mom, ‘cause I don’t know who he was planning to call," the homeowner said. "I didn’t know if he had a gun or not."

He held the intruder at bay until Gwinnett County police arrived. "He tried to run away from the police," the homeowner said.

Police say an officer ordered the suspect to put his hands behind his back. "The suspect refused commands, kept not wanting to put his hands behind his back, and attempted to flee as well," said Cpl. Juan Madiedo, with the Gwinnett County Police Department.

Police say the homeowner tackled the man.

Officers arrested Travelle Forbes. Investigators say they found a blanket and extra clothes.

"The suspect clearly made it his own property," Madiedo said. "He was clearly using amenities inside the residence, sleeping there."

Police say they found a stolen 9-millimeter handgun in the backpack the homeowner says Forbes was trying to grab during the fight. "When you see broken entry, you don’t know who is in there, whether the person is armed or not, so you have to be worried," the homeowner said.

What's next:

Forbes bonded out of jail Monday. He faces a number of charges, including burglary, theft, and weapons offenses.