Douglas County Sheriff Releases 1 Image in Lake Tahoe Squatter-Burglary Probe

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 13

June 5 launched the case after a Lake Tahoe homeowner returned from a three-week vacation and found someone had apparently been living in his house, with food eaten, clothes worn and his birth certificate missing.
A Safeway receipt and a wallet with a Visa debit card issued to Clarence Zillman led deputies to store surveillance video from Round Hill Shopping Center, where they identified a person of interest.
The sheriff's office said the person in the image was wearing the homeowner's shirt and hat; deputies later recovered the shirt inside the residence, while the hat remains missing.
Douglas County has released the surveillance image and asked anyone who recognizes the individual to contact Investigator JT Davis as the residential burglary investigation remains active.
The case underscores risks for Lake Tahoe's vacation-home market, where homes can sit vacant for weeks and authorities nationwide have faced broader concerns about unlawful occupancy.