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Owner of NYC home that went up in flames says he can't get rid of squatters who 'have more rights' than him

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Owner of NYC home that went up in flames says he can't get rid of squatters who 'have more rights' than him

The New York City man whose million-dollar home went up in flames late last year says he cannot get rid of squatters who “have more rights” than homeowners.

Zafar Iqbal, 53, told the New York Post he has repeatedly tried to renovate the house but they “keep coming back.” 

He pays $6,000 a month for the Brooklyn property after paying $1.1 million for it in 2017. He says the home is now causing him to go broke, and he also fears for his safety.

“Every two or three weeks I go there, but I don’t approach,” Iqbal told the Post. “I don’t know if these guys have weapons or whatever. My safety is precious too.”

SQUATTERS BURNED NEW YORK HOME WHILE WREAKING HAVOC ON ‘HARDWORKING FAMILIES,’ OFFICIALS SAY

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The Dyker Heights home before it burned to the ground in November. Squatter Cheng Chen, who was arrested for arson and criminal mischief, told police a candle started the inferno. (Google Maps)

Residents say the cadre of squatters took up residence in the Dyker Heights neighborhood over the summer and quickly made themselves known by stealing security cameras and other goods from surrounding houses – and directly threatening neighbors.

“I got a couple of contractors, they started working on the house,” Iqbal told the Post. “Next thing I know, I got a call from the fire department that the house is burnt out.” 

BLUE STATE SQUATTERS PUT ON NOTICE WITH ‘AGGRESSIVE’ LAW AND ORDER BILL: ‘PEOPLE ARE GETTING KILLED’

Squatters set fire to a home in Brooklyn’s Dyker Heights on Nov. 29 last year after a monthslong campaign of terror against their neighbors. Now, politicians are citing the incident as another indication that loopholes enabling squatters need to be closed. (LLN NYC)

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Cheng Chen, 46, was charged with arson and criminal mischief after the Nov. 29 fire at 1237 67th Street last year. He was saddled with a six-month prison sentence after pleading guilty, according to court records. 

“The fire was caused by candles,” Chen told police, according to a criminal complaint. “I was smoking a cigarette, lit a candle. While I had the stove on to heat up the water and to keep myself warm, [I] went downstairs to take a shower. When I came back, I saw flames and smoke everywhere.”

Dozens of firefighters took an hour to put out the blaze, which caused $900,000 in damage. One squatter, Cheng Chen, was arrested on arson and criminal mischief charges. The other occupants of the home have taken up residence in the razed property’s backyard, neighbors say. (LLN NYC)

However, the New York City Police Department told Fox News Digital that Chen started the fire “intentionally” and “recklessly.” 

The inferno caused $900,000 in damage, the New York Post reported, and took dozens of firefighters an hour to extinguish, according to ABC 7. 

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The Dyker Heights home Zafar Iqbal owns is in Brooklyn, seen here where people take photos near Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York City on Oct. 19, 2022. (Yuki IWAMURA / AFP via Getty Images)

“Somebody got in there and torched my house,” Iqbal said. “That’s when I found out it was a squatter living there. The squatters have more rights than the homeowners. I’m the owner of the house. How much more can I do? I need help.”

Iqbal has been waiting for months since the fire for his insurance claim to go through, he told the Post. Once it does, he plans to fix the 8-bedroom, 4-bath home that has become a source of neighborhood complaints.

New York, most notably in New York City, has been rocked by repeated instances of squatting cases, including a handful that have turned violent and even murderous. Republican state Sen. Mario Mattera pointed to one man on Long Island in 2021, plumber Thomas Buckleman, who was brutally beaten with a baseball bat by a squatter when he was hired to winterize a building in Blue Point. Buckleman was left with three fractures to his skull and blood on his brain, and told local media at the time he believed he was going to die.

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Fox News’ Emma Colton and Christina Coulter contributed to this report. 

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Boston, MA

Ariana Grande fan gets better tickets to TD Garden concert in Boston after resolving StubHub issue

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Ariana Grande fan gets better tickets to TD Garden concert in Boston after resolving StubHub issue


Ariana Grande is coming to Boston next week and one of her biggest fans in Massachusetts will be there after resolving a ticket issue with StubHub.

Kelsie Duest of Hopedale had two front row balcony seats to Grande’s show on July 23 at TD Garden. Her brother bought them for her on StubHub last year. Her mother said it cost nearly $1,400 for the pair.

But about a month later, Sharon Duest checked her Apple Wallet and noticed the tickets were invalid. She said StubHub offered them a choice, take a refund or different tickets.

Kelsie Duest has two seats to Ariana Grande’s show on July 23 at TD Garden in Boston.

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CBS Boston


Duest ended up accepting the tickets that were offered, only to learn they were obstructed view seats behind the stage and Kelsie wouldn’t be able to see Grande during parts of the concert.

Concerned that her daughter, who has Down syndrome, would miss out on the experience of seeing Grande on stage, Duest tried calling and emailing Stubhub hoping to get better seats.

“We didn’t want anything for free. We just wanted just the tickets that we had,” she told WBZ-TV.

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With the concert coming up soon, the Duests reached out to the I-Team’s Call for Action for help, who contacted StubHub.

“We’re so sorry about the issues Sharon experienced with their ticket order, especially given how meaningful this concert is to Kelsie,” a company spokesperson said in an email.

“We understand how disappointing and stressful that situation was. Our Customer Care team worked with them to resolve the issue and ultimately secured upgraded replacement tickets in a section in front of where the original seats were located, allowing them to attend the show with an improved view.”

Kelsie and her mom now have club seats closer to the stage than the tickets they originally purchased.

“I know we couldn’t have done this without you guys. Thank you, thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” Sharon Duest said.

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A good rule of thumb with electronic tickets is to always check on them to confirm that they remain valid up until the event. You should also keep good records in case you need a refund or a replacement. 



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Pittsburg, PA

Abandoned mini golf course in Westmoreland County getting new life

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Abandoned mini golf course in Westmoreland County getting new life


A miniature golf course that’s been sitting abandoned for more than 20 years is getting a second chance. The former Charlie’s Ballgame in Unity Township is being transformed into the new Charlie’s Hideout Putt and Hit. KDKA-TV’s Chris DeRose has the story.



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Connecticut

Wethersfield woman accused of sexually coercing minor from New York after meeting him online

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Wethersfield woman accused of sexually coercing minor from New York after meeting him online


HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — A Wethersfield woman was charged Friday after allegedly bringing a minor from New York to her home and attempting to sexually coerce him, according to the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.

Amily Colon, 31, was charged on a federal criminal complaint with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, and with transportation of a minor to engage in sexual activity, according to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.

Court documents allege that Colon initiated an online relationship with a 13-year-old boy from New York.

Colon, who identified herself as “Alice,” allegedly had conversations with the victim through a messaging and communications app, according to court documents.

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The conversations became sexually explicit, documents state. Then, Colon allegedly coerced the victim to send her a sexually explicit video of himself, and Colon sent back explicit images and videos of herself in return.

On June 26, Colon traveled to an area of New York to pick up the victim and bring him to her residence in Wethersfield, court documents allege. Here, Colon allegedly attempted to engage in sexual activity.

The next day, Colon drove the victim back to New York and dropped him off a few blocks from his home, according to court documents.

Colon was ordered detained in Hartford on Friday.

Officials in Connecticut and New York are conducting the investigation.

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