An East Flushing man pleaded guilty to a felony and is expected to be sentenced to two years in prison for illegally occupying a single-family home in Flushing and renting out rooms to others last year.
When the homeowner regained access to the property and changed the locks, the defendant, Brian Rodriguez, forced himself back inside the home and claimed he was a legal tenant without proof and had the temerity to call the cops to arrest the rightful homeowner. The case gained national attention due to the presence of an Eyewitness News crew during the incident.
Rodriguez, 36, of 161st Street, pleaded guilty in Queens Supreme Court on Jan. 21 to falsely reporting an incident in the second degree.
According to the charges and investigation, on Feb. 17, 2024, Adele Andaloro made a regularly scheduled stop to check on the 160th Street home in Flushing that she inherited from her father in 2004 and found that the front door lock had been changed without her permission. She had last visited the home on Jan. 21, and her property was unoccupied, so the lock had not been changed. Over the next several days, Andaloro observed Rodriguez inside the home. She had never met him or permitted him to access the property.
On Feb. 19, when confronted by Andaloro, Rodriguez claimed that he was leasing the property but did not specify the leasing company, individual, or agent. Ten days later, Andaloro observed several other individuals staying in her house without permission. After one of the occupants left the location with the front door ajar, Andaloro entered the property and observed several other new locks had been added to the front door.
She called a locksmith and immediately changed the locks. Later that same day, Rodriguez came to the location and forced his way into the home by pushing the door open as Andaloro struggled to keep the door closed while ordering him to leave the premises.
When police from the 109th Precinct in Flushing responded to the scene, Rodriguez claimed that he was the legal tenant being harassed by the owner to evict him unlawfully. Police removed Andaloro from the property.
Eyewitness News caught the moment as police arrested Andaloro in her own home after she changed the locks in an attempt to keep Rodriguez and the other occupants out.
“I’m really fearful that these people are going to get away with stealing my home,” she told the reporter.
After her release and an unlawful eviction charge against her was dropped, Andaloro met with the Queens District Attorney’s office, which launched an investigation through its Housing and Worker Protection Bureau.
Following the grand jury indictment secured by the DA’s office, Rodriguez surrendered to the DA’s Detective Bureau on April 18.
“This guilty plea and forthcoming prison term is a monumental achievement in our quest for justice on behalf of Queens homeowners,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “It needs to be abundantly clear: It is neither legal nor acceptable to enter someone’s home illegally and claim you have the right to stay.”
Rodriguez pleaded guilty before Queens Supreme Court Justice Leigh Cheng. He is expected to be sentenced to a determinate term of two years in prison on March 28.
“Due to the strong case built by my Housing & Worker Protection Bureau against this defendant, Brian Rodriguez has admitted guilt and is expected to be sentenced to two years in prison, plus five years post-release supervision, for his unlawful actions,” Katz said, adding that her office successfully returned the property to the rightful owner, Adele Andoloro.
