Hazel Crest homeowners say squatters who took over Tinley Park home moved in, asked for cash

HAZEL CREST, Ill. (WLS) -- In an ABC7 Chicago exclusive, the I-Team is hearing from another homeowner, who says squatters moved into her home and would not leave.

The woman and her business partner believe these are the same people accused of squatting at a Tinley Park home last week.

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Police in the south suburbs are now investigating.

The women in Hazel Crest saw the Tinley Park story last week, and were in utter disbelief.

They say the same people who took over the Tinley Park home moved into their property.

They were hoping to sell the Hazel Crest home this month.

But, last week, they got a call from a realtor, informing them a group of people with two dogs moved into their home.

"I can't believe this is happening to us," property owner Keashun May said.

They say they rushed to their property and met a man, who identified himself as Lashawn Rankine.

They say they took a photo of him from their yard, as they asked him to leave.

The women say he claimed that he paid a landlord $4,000 in cash to rent the home for his family, and signed a lease.

He said he wasn't leaving. So, they called the police.

"They told us, 'this is a civil matter.' It's nothing they can do. They showed us a lease with their name on it. How do I know they aren't being scammed?" May said.

The women learned their only recourse was to evict them, which could take months.

They say the people inside asked them for money to leave, and, after negotiating, the women had them sign a cash-for-key agreement, and gave them $2,700 to vacate.

"I did not want to pay. I wanted to call their bluff. However, did realize they would have longer access to the house, and we could lose potential buyers," property owner Macquline King said.

A couple days later, the women saw the story about the man in Tinley Park, who claimed squatters had moved into his home and refused to leave.

"And I see a dog come out. And I see this gentleman and a coat. I say, 'oh my God, oh my God, this is them!'" one of the women said.

The Tinley Park lease and the Hazel Crest lease were nearly identical.

"We are going to criminally investigate," Hazel Crest Police Chief Mitchell R. Davis III said.

Davis said Rankine is connected to other alleged squatting cases.

"That's the common name in Hazel Crest, Tinley Park and South Holland that we've seen," Davis said.

He said current law prevents police from removing alleged squatters on the spot. If they have a signed lease, it's hard for an officer to determine if it's invalid.

But Chief Davis says with this new information, he's working with the Cook County state's attorney to see if any crimes, like extortion or fraud, were broken.

"We had someone who was interested. She was here on her second showing. She wanted to buy our home. She's gone now," one of the owners said.

The women said they want the alleged squatters stopped, and held responsible.

"I believe they are house-hopping. They're very sophisticated. They have a routine that they follow," King said.

When the women got their property back, they say it smelled of marijuana, and there was trash everywhere. So, they had to pay to get it cleaned.

The Hazel Crest police chief says homeowners should ask their neighbors to watch over their homes when they are away, and install cameras outside and inside the home. That way you can call 911 the minute you detect someone breaking in.

As of now, no one has been charged with a crime, but police are investigating and working with the state's attorney.

Rankine did not immediately respond to requests for comment.