MORONGO VALLEY SQUATTER ARRESTED

A Desert Hot Springs man was arrested Saturday morning after he was found squatting in a vacant home in Morongo Valley with a stolen trailer. According to a Sheriff’s report, the owner of a property in the 49600 block of Buena Vista Drive in Morongo Valley called about 9 a.m. to report that two people were living in a vacant home without permission. A deputy contacted Francisco Figueroa, 34, at the home along with a woman. The woman told the deputy that she had a signed a rental agreement with another man and had paid the rent to him. When the homeowner said a trailer stored on the property was missing, the deputy discovered evidence that linked the theft to Figueroa, although Figueroa denied the allegations. Francisco Figueroa was arrested on suspicion of grand theft auto, booked at the Morongo Basin Jail, with his bail set at $100,000. The woman was released at the scene. The investigation is continuing.