Police: Squatter Had Been Living Inside Vacant Canton Apartment

Police discovered a vacant apartment had been broken into while on a foot patrol at The Crossings Apartments on Aug. 12, according to a police report. 

Police said the door was forced open and there were damages to the door jam, the report said. 

The apartment was vacant and unrented, and appeared that maintenance was working on remodeling, the report said.   

Police said that someone had been squatting inside the apartment. The upstairs bedroom and bathroom contained feces, condom wrappers and possible drug paraphernalia, according to the report. 

Police saw a man running eastbound towards Honey Lane at the same time the break-in was discovered. They caught the man and arrested him on charges of obstruction of justice. The man denied being involved in the break-in and squatting inside the empty apartment, the report said.