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The owner of a squatter removal business is now facing felony charges after he and several others allegedly attempted to clear a group of squatters from a home in San Bruno.
The owner of a Bay Area squatter removal business is now facing felony charges after he and several others attempted to clear a group of squatters from a home in San Bruno.
Navigating squatters can be a detrimental problem for property owners. James Jacobs, owner of ASAP Squatter Removal, offers support to homeowners who can't get unauthorized occupants off their property.
Jacobs is known for his unusual tactics in removing squatters, including bringing a Katana sword along. Now, those tactics are under the legal microscope.
What we know:
On the early morning of January 6, body camera video, obtained exclusively by KTVU, shows Jacobs and his team using a battering ram to enter a property he was hired to manage in San Bruno. They did not know how many squatters might be inside.
His business, ASAP Squatter Removal, brought along seven independent contractors. All were armed.
San Mateo County District Attorney, Stephen Wagstaffe, is prosecuting the case.
"It's 2.30 in the morning. Eight men take a battering ram, break down a door, charge on in and tell the occupants there, who may have been squatters, were squatters, that they had to get out. Could you imagine? Scaring, obviously scared the daylights out of them," Wagstaffe told KTVU. "The danger of weapons, anytime weapons are brought into a circumstance there is a danger of, how did they know that the people inside didn't have their own firearms?"
Jacobs says his team had a plan: move-in a new leaseholder. But things went awry when one of the occupants threatened to shoot.
In the body cam footage shared with KTVU, what sounds to be a woman's voice can be heard shouting.
"You try to come up here, you get shot in the face," the voice says.
Jacobs says he and his team took that as a direct threat, and the need to check the home for weapons became even more imperative. Video shows the crew heading upstairs towards the voice.
Video shows Jacobs' hand on his Katana sword, in preparation to "clear" the room of threats.
Shortly after, one of the men on Jacobs’ team can be seen aiming his gun in the direction of an occupant’s voice.
The backstory:
Jacobs believed everyone he contracted for his team that night had security training. He was wrong.
Jacobs asked a friend, who owns a security business, to contract an extra person for the removal. He identified the security business owner as Van.
Jacobs says Van brought a new member along, who is named in court documents as Angel Va Regalado. Regalado is a convicted felon.
"If you hire a security company, and they bring you a two-time convicted felon, how would you feel?" Jacobs said.
Regalado didn’t show up in court this week. Jacobs and another person with him that night were charged with seven felonies each.
The ASAP squatter removal website boasts a 95% success rate along with several positive reviews. Jacobs says the success is thanks, in part, to his unconventional methods.
Dig deeper:
Jacobs works exclusively with independent contractors in his business. He says it's the safest way to protect his clients and himself from unnecessary liability.
But working with independent contractors means Jacobs doesn’t always have their full background information. That can also add risk.
"This case where there's no training, there's weapons being brought in, then you know what? He's the hirer. He's going to be held accountable," Wagstaffe told KTVU.
Big picture view:
Jacobs maintains he is innocent, but he can’t be certain of all that happened that night. He doesn't feel he should be held responsible for Regalado's actions.
"I think there is a reasonable…I don't know what percentage, that the claim is somewhat accurate, so I do have sympathy for the two squatters upstairs," Jacobs told KTVU.
Since sharing more about his unorthodox tactics, Jacobs has been called a vigilante. He says he isn't, because all of his methods are legal.
"The fact that you’re calling me a vigilante is implying that I’m on the right side of justice," Jacobs said.
Wagstaffe says he is hopeful that this case can be an example to folks who may be dealing with squatters and considering hiring a company like ASAP Squatter Removal. He says residency disputes like this should play out in courtrooms.
Jacobs will be back in court on March 18th.
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Owner of squatter removal business facing 7 felony charges – KTVU
