Armed ‘squatter’: Police say NJ man lied about owning homes, changed locks

FREEHOLD – A 39-year-old man was facing over a dozen charges for lying about being the owner of two different, vacant homes he was found living in, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago announced Thursday.

Markies L. Wells, who also goes by the alias Messiah Law-Elbey, had a last legitimate known address in Neptune Township, Santiago said.

In March, Keansburg police found that Wells had climbed through a rear window of an abandoned home on Pine View Avenue.

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He then changed the locks on the front and rear doors on the Keansburg home — after which he was initially arrested and charged.

Months later in July, Holmdel police found that Wells had done the same thing with a foreclosed home on Middletown Road.

Not only did he move in with three dogs, but he also used utilities that had not been turned off and allowed his pets to do extensive damage inside the home, Santiago said.

At the time of his second arrest, Wells was armed with a knife and made verbal threats to kill the officers, the prosecutor said.

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Armed burglary, trespassing among charges

Wells was charged with second-degree counts of armed burglary, attempted theft and theft.

He also faced third-degree counts of burglary, criminal mischief, resisting arrest and threatening to kill members of law enforcement.

In addition to trespassing, Wells was also charged with fourth-degree falsifying or tampering with records, obstruction of justice, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, theft of utility services and unlawful possession of a weapon.

Wells was being held at Monmouth County Jail as his case proceeded in court.

Last week, he was also charged with filing falsified documents with the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office, in which he claimed to be the rightful owner of both homes.

Anyone with potential information about Wells’ activities was asked to contact MCPO Detective Michael Acquaviva at 800-533-7443.