Veterans unite to kick squatting felon out of deployed soldier’s home

After a local Florida newscast broke the story of a veteran’s home being taken over by squatters, local veterans took it upon themselves to do what the police couldn’t.

Given the nature of a home takeover, police would have needed a court order to evict the convicted felons living in the house of a deployed soldier.

WFLA reported that two Tampa motorcycle clubs, filled to the brim with veterans, were planning on riding by the Florida home to peacefully pressure the residents to leave.

After hearing about the planned rides and an impending eviction notice, Julio Ortiz and his girlfriend left the home that they had been illegally squatting in.

Different veterans groups around the world offered to pay for an attorney and watch the home while Sharkey is stationed in Hawaii, following a long deployment in Afghanistan.

When WFLA’s cameras were back on the scene, the defiant Ortiz cursed at the crew while flexing his muscles and walking around with a mop on his head. Two abandoned dogs were later cared for by animal control.

The Veteran Warrior’s organization plans to clean and remodel the home before Sharkey returns later this year.

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