An Escondido single mom struggling to make ends meet discovered that transients living in her garage ran up her electric bill to over $700.
Tymicka Davis' detached garage faces an alley in the 1100 block of East Grand Avenue. She doesn't park her car inside and doesn't use it for storage.
Davis always thought it was a creepy garage but she never thought her neglect of the space 40 feet away from her home would be costing her money and peace of mind.
She spent her entire morning Wednesday emptying out the belongings that squatters moved in to make the space livable.
"I have a 2 1/2-year-old," Davis said. "What if I were to go in there one day and there was a gun in there?"
Davis guesses that at least two transients set up homestead in her garage just after she moved in around Thanksgiving.
While the squatters never made their presence known, Davis knows now why her first electric bill was almost $500; she owes nearly $800 at last check.
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"I just barely got a TV and I don't have anything else that is hooked into it except for my refrigerator,” Davis said.
Davis convinced the squatters to leave, put a stronger lock on the garage door and one on her front door.
Still, somehow she feels more vulnerable than ever.
"What if they break into my car? What if they break into my house? What if anything? I am just scared," Davis said.
The Escondido Police Department verified that it was notified twice about the problem. The transients were gone when they responded to the complaint.
Police advise community members to keep a good lock on their garages and check them regularly, even if they are not in use.
In the meantime, Davis' landlord started a GoFundMe page to help her raise money for the electric bill.
