'When we come home we put guns on our hips'
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GIG HARBOR, Wash. -- Residents in a Gig Harbor neighborhood say what appears to be a little slice of heaven overlooking a lake has turned into a house of horrors.
It was more than a year ago that a beautiful home tucked behind tall trees known as the "Spanish Mansion" went into foreclosure.
In August, a group of squatters showed up claiming they were renting the property, but police say the new residents have turned the house into a drug haven.
Now neighbors say they no longer feel safe and some has gone as far as carrying guns for personal protection.
"When we come home we put guns on our hips," said one neighbor who didn't want to be identified. "When we go out for walks we're carrying concealed weapons, and we sleep with guns next to our beds and so do the other neighbors."
A number of residents claim they spent weeks trying to get help from Bank of America, which owns the home, but had little success.
In a statement released Tuesday, bank officials say they're working on the problem.
"When it was brought to our attention that unauthorized individuals were living in the home, we worked with local authorities to take appropriate actions," the statement reads. "We will secure the property and expedite the foreclosure proceedings."
Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said deputies will also be working to keep the home safe.
"Until somebody tells us this is my property, I don't want them there," Troyer said. "We legally by the statue just can't go remove people from a residence. If anyone steps foot in that property or moves in there, now us knowing that it's not supposed to be that way, they'll be arrested for trespassing."
It was more than a year ago that a beautiful home tucked behind tall trees known as the "Spanish Mansion" went into foreclosure.
In August, a group of squatters showed up claiming they were renting the property, but police say the new residents have turned the house into a drug haven.
Now neighbors say they no longer feel safe and some has gone as far as carrying guns for personal protection.
"When we come home we put guns on our hips," said one neighbor who didn't want to be identified. "When we go out for walks we're carrying concealed weapons, and we sleep with guns next to our beds and so do the other neighbors."
A number of residents claim they spent weeks trying to get help from Bank of America, which owns the home, but had little success.
In a statement released Tuesday, bank officials say they're working on the problem.
"When it was brought to our attention that unauthorized individuals were living in the home, we worked with local authorities to take appropriate actions," the statement reads. "We will secure the property and expedite the foreclosure proceedings."
Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said deputies will also be working to keep the home safe.
"Until somebody tells us this is my property, I don't want them there," Troyer said. "We legally by the statue just can't go remove people from a residence. If anyone steps foot in that property or moves in there, now us knowing that it's not supposed to be that way, they'll be arrested for trespassing."
