New York City politicians are advocating for updated laws following a disturbing incident where a group of squatters carried out a reign of terror in a Brooklyn neighborhood, culminating in the burning down of a house last November. The squatters, who had taken up residence in Dyker Heights over the summer, engaged in criminal activities such as stealing security cameras and threatening neighbors.
Cheng Chen, 46, was charged with arson and criminal mischief after the fire at 1237 67th Street, which caused $900,000 in damages and required extensive firefighting efforts to extinguish. Despite claiming the fire was accidental, Chen was sentenced to six months in prison after pleading guilty.
