Atlanta, GA
Squatters bring drugs, prostitution, armed robbery to Atlanta neighborhood as residents push for new laws
Communities across America are speaking out about the problem squatters pose not only to property owners but neighborhoods as a whole. One Atlanta resident said squatters have even brought drugs and prostitution to his area.
Mel Keyton, president of the Hampton Oaks Homeowners Association, told “Fox & Friends” life has been “terrible” when trying to deal with the squatter problem.
“We’ve had everything from fentanyl sales, prostitution rings, a person wanted for murder. We had armed robbery going on,” Keyton told co-host Lawrence Jones Thursday.
“It’s been really, really bad.”
FIVE TIMES SQUATTERS WERE BUSTED AFTER TAKING OVER HOMES: WHAT TO KNOW
Keyton explained that squatting is considered a civil matter, which makes it more difficult to address the problem and remove unwanted residents.
“Because the police doesn’t have any authority over civil matters, they just let them stay,” he said.
But Keyton said his neighborhood has taken direct action to address the problem, bringing the total number of squatters from 18 down to five.
“We actually have been catching them in the act of breaking into the homes and getting them removed right back out.”
Squatters trashed Atlanta property owner David Morris’s land during the pandemic (Screenshot/FNC)
BLUE STATE SQUATTER PUT ON NOTICE WITH ‘AGGRESSIVE’ LAW AND ORDER BILL: ‘PEOPLE ARE GETTING KILLED’
The state of Georgia has also taken action, pushing new legislation that would give more rights to homeowners and make squatting a misdemeanor criminal offense with the possibility of jail time or fines.
Keyton, a Democratic candidate for the Georgia State House, said the law can’t come soon enough as lawmakers await the governor’s signature.
Under the new law, potential squatters will have to present a verifiable lease agreement or be charged and face criminal penalties. They may also be required to pay back rent for the time they inhabited the living space.
One Georgia property owner said she is now facing more than $30,000 in damages from squatters who destroyed the home. She said they broke in through doors, windows and by cutting holes in the walls.
The squatters reportedly took copper from the HVAC system, pulled the furnace out of the attic, cut the wiring and damaged the framing and siding on the house.
Ultimately, she was forced to install a lock system on all doors and windows to keep out potential future squatters.
An Atlanta property owner says squatters ripped wires out of the walls and caused tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage. (Fox News)
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Though the new law will empower property owners and landlords, there are still issues with housing companies trying to cut corners and repeat squatting offenders.
“These companies, they actually don’t have a real underwriting process,” Keyton explained.
“And then [buyers] get these homes, and they move into them, and they really don’t understand. And then when they realize they can’t afford it, they’ll just stay in the house or they’ll leave and find another house in the same neighborhood and move into that one. So that’s been an issue.”
Fox News’ Taylor Penley contributed to this report.
The group stage of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup is nearly over, but not before the Democratic Republic of the Congo takes on Uzbekistan at Atlanta Stadium.
For DR Congo, this last match is extremely important. The team remains in contention for a spot in the knockout round with its one point. Uzbekistan has an extremely slim change of getting to the round of 32 following its loss to Portugal earlier this week, but a massive win could change all that.
This is the second time DR Congo has competed in the World Cup since 1974, when it was called Zaire. The team qualified after winning a playoff tournament in Mexico.
How to watch DR Congo vs. Uzbekistan
- Date: Saturday, June 26
- Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
- TV (English): FS1
- TV (Spanish): Peacock (Telemundo/Universo)
- Streaming: Universo, FOX One, FOX Sports app and website
FIFA Fan Festival Atlanta
What: FIFA Fan Festival™ Atlanta
Where: Centennial Olympic Park
Time: 2 p.m. to Midnight
The free general admission tickets for Saturday have sold out, but guests can purchase tickets to the festival on its website.
The San Francisco Giants welcome the Atlanta Braves to Oracle Park tonight to begin a three-game series.
As of the time this is being written, the Giants have not yet announced a starting pitcher. I assume that means that the last resort left for this season is the element of surprise. But check the comments below for more up to date information.
Whoever it ends up being will face off against Braves right-hander Reynaldo López, who enters tonight’s game with a 3.50 ERA, 4.62 FIP, with 39 strikeouts to 21 walks in 43.2 innings pitched. His last appearance was in relief in the Braves’ 9-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, in which he allowed one unearned run on one hit with three strikeouts and a walk in three innings.
Who: San Francisco Giants (33-47) vs. Atlanta Braves (48-31)
Where: Oracle Park, San Francisco, California
Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area
Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM
Photograph by Martha Williams
Atlanta diners may recognize the name Adidsara “Vicky” Weerasin as co-owner of both Tum Pok Pok, the beloved Thai restaurant in Chamblee, and Yao in Buckhead. But they might not know she’s also the person behind Chef’s Tableware, the ceramics shop all over many Atlantans’ “for you” page on TikTok. From its New Peachtree Road warehouse, Chef’s Tableware offers handcrafted plates, cups, and bowls, sourced from Thailand, that look like they’re from Anthropologie but sell for a fraction of the price. And while it is a wholesale operation, it’s open to both restaurant-industry professionals and savvy Atlanta shoppers.
Weerasin’s pieces appear on tables at top Atlanta restaurants, from the soft-green platform bowls used to showcase Claudia Martinez’s confectionery creations at Bar Ana to the speckled black plates heaped with pasta at BoccaLupo. Another place you can expect to find Chef’s Tableware selections is at Georgia Boy, the tasting menu–only restaurant in the back of Southern Belle. “I picked up matte black dinner plates, an artsy pedestal bowl with a bubbled ceramic finish, and concave, high-gloss porcelain pieces,” says Georgia Boy and Southern Belle chef and owner Joey Ward. “Each one helps elevate the way we present a dish.”
Weerasin first discovered her love of ceramics when she took a pottery-making class at her high school in Thailand. She’s now lived in Atlanta 20 years, but she returns to her homeland every year to visit family. It was during one such trip in 2023 that she visited a family member’s ceramics business and saw the type of stunning handmade pieces that now fill her store. She originally intended for her 4,500-square-foot, two-room space to be more of a friend-to-friend operation, but after several requests, she opened it to the public.
Photograph by Martha Williams
Photograph by Martha Williams
Photograph by Martha Williams
Weerasin says she sources pieces with chefs in mind, collaborating with them on the right textures and weights for their serving dishes and explaining how each aspect might factor into the guest and server experience. “Each restaurant has a different concept, [so] I try to consult and recommend different types of ceramic, stone, clay, and porcelain,” she says.
Her industrial shelves are filled with a wide range of items, from the expected (plates, bowls, cups) to the unusual (sushi boats, matcha bowls, coffee pour-overs). Other offbeat items include an elephant-shaped mug, a peapod cutlery rest, and animal-shaped chopstick rests, located by the register. Customers looking for well-priced gifts for weddings, birthdays, and housewarmings can find dish sets and colorful wine glasses for less than $15.
Popular picks include “donut bowls”—large, shallow pieces that allow for creative plating and are especially popular for serving tasting menus. These bowls, which retail for $39.95 each, also offer a way to pair texture and color with the dishes; for home entertaining, they make a table look grander.
Weerasin’s favorite pieces for first-time shoppers: beautiful drinkware with a drip-style glaze. The glass glaze, known as nagashi (Japanese for “flowing”), is fired at more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which produces a natural crackle effect. “It’s very unique,” she says.
This article appears in our June 2026 issue.
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