Southwest
Arizona squatter investigation: Trio arrested in scheme to rent out dead person's home, cops say
Arizona authorities arrested three people accused of a scheme to rent out a dead person’s home and sell two of their cars.
One was found with another dead person’s stolen possessions when he was arrested, authorities said.
Kevin Andrew Strawbridge, 38, Jami Demaria, 30, and Cheyenne Keller, 29, have all been arrested after a month-long Mohave County Sheriff’s Office investigation into reports of squatters occupying a deceased person’s home in the Pebble Lake area, Fox 10 Phoenix reported.
“Through the course of the investigation, Deputies learned that [Strawbridge] and his co-conspirator, [Demaria], were responsible for unlawfully renting the decedent’s home,” read a department statement obtained by the outlet. “Strawbridge and Demaria were also found to be responsible for the theft of three of the decedent’s vehicles and the sale of two of the vehicles.”
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Kevin Strawbridge, 38, was charged with conspiracy, fraudulent schemes, burglary, possession of stolen property and trafficking stolen property, all felonies. (Mohave County Sheriff’s Department)
Authorities said that Keller had notarized Stawbridge and Demaria’s signatures on the vehicles’ titles. She also stands accused in a separate criminal case involving the burglary of a man’s home and theft of his car while he was deployed in the military, Fox 10 reported.
While executing one of five search warrants in the investigation on May 10, deputies recovered two stolen vehicles, one unreported stolen vehicle, property that had been reported stolen by other victims, drugs, drug paraphernalia and two firearms, the sheriff’s department said.
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Sheyenne Keller, 29, was charged with the felonies of conspiracy, fraudulent schemes, possession of dangerous drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia, misconduct involving weapons, weapons possession by a prohibited person and possession of a firearm during a drug offense, all felonies. (Mohave County Sheriff’s Department)
Strawbright, Demari and Keller were all charged with felonies for conspiracy and fraudulent schemes.
Strawbridge was also charged with burglary, possession of stolen property and three counts of theft of means of transportation, all felonies. He was also booked for the burglary of another deceased person in the area, according to the sheriff’s department.
Jami Demari, 30, was charged with felonies for conspiracy, fraudulent schemes, burglary, and trafficking stolen property. (Mohave County Sheriff’s Department)
Demari faces additional charges for burglary and trafficking of stolen property.
Keller and Wolf, who were found at one of the locations searched in the investigation, also face felony charges for drug possession and illegally possessing firearms.
The department said an investigation is still ongoing. The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office could not be immediately reached for comment at press time.
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Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
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A courtroom sketch of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, during his initial court appearance on Oct. 23, 2025. (Bill Robles) -
The U.S. Dept. of Justice booking photo of Jonathan Rinderknecht over the Palisades Fire devastation in Malibu, California in January 2025 (AP).
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
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