A 37-year-old Weston man was arrested after police discovered he had been squatting for days inside a Miami Shores home owned by the wife of South Florida sports media personality Dan Le Batard. Diego Alejandro Escobar Ortega was taken into custody after officers responded to the home around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday for an “assist citizen” call. The property is owned by Valerie Le Batard, according to Miami Shores Police Department arrest documents.
A woman who works at the home alerted police after she noticed belongings inside that did not belong to the homeowner and found a bedroom door upstairs locked, which she said was “unusual,” according to the arrest report. The employee had previously arranged for a locksmith to change the locks to the home. Officers initially searched the residence and did not find anyone inside, but discovered “clothing, a makeshift bed, food in the refrigerator, and other miscellaneous personal items.”
While officers remained at the scene, a silver sedan pulled into the driveway with Escobar Ortega behind the wheel. He initially told officers he was the homeowner and said he entered the house through a window, according to the police report. After being read his Miranda rights, Escobar Ortega agreed to speak with investigators but was unable to provide documentation or other proof that he owned the home or had permission to be there.
Escobar Ortega told officers that he had been moving into the home for about two days and had been entering through unlocked windows despite not having keys. Valerie Le Batard told police she did not recognize Escobar Ortega and had not given him permission to be on the property. She indicated she wants to press charges against the suspect, the report states.
Even after being handcuffed, Escobar Ortega continued to claim he owned the house for 20 to 30 years, according to video obtained by Local 10 News. An officer informed him during the arrest that the home was not his property. The case highlights ongoing issues with unauthorized occupancy in South Florida residential properties, where squatters sometimes exploit vacant homes or properties with absentee owners.