4 teens accused of breaking into Glendale home, throwing party, and sleeping in bed

GLENDALE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- Four teenagers are in custody after allegedly breaking into a newly built Glendale home, throwing a party, causing around $2,000 in damages, and returning to the house to sleep on Sunday morning.

The homeowner was packed and ready to move into his new home Sunday morning. But a few hours prior, neighbors called him and told him a huge party was happening inside. “It was heartbreaking to see it like this,” he said. “This looks a real mess.”

Around 8 a.m., Glendale police were called near Cardinals Way and 99th Avenue, just north of Camelback Road, for a report of trespassers in a home. This was the same home police responded to hours before to bust the large house party where multiple people were arrested.

His new home, which he hasn’t even moved into yet, is littered with broken glass, beer cans and trash. “There are footprints all over the walls,” he said. “I immediately rushed, and when I was here, I was shocked to see hundreds of people partying and smoking in the house.”

There was also damage to the countertops, floors, and upstairs window screen. The homeowner said the damage caused by the party is estimated at around $2,000. He told police he bought the home as a new build and had already started moving in. He lives alone with his dog, and no one else has a key to the house.

A neighbor shared video with Arizona’s Family showing people inside the home, on the streets and even dancing on cars at one point. Glendale police showed up and removed everyone from the house. The owner hoped that would be the end of it. He went home for the night after booking a cleaning service for 7:30 a.m. with hopes of moving in that day. But when he got to the house in the morning, he encountered something he described as terrifying and a complete shock.

The owner said that strangers were sleeping in his bed and bedroom upstairs. “This door was open just a bit, and I walked calmly, and I saw two people sleeping in there, so I immediately went back, grabbed shoes, and left the house,” he said.

Officers arrived at the scene, surrounded the house, and saw multiple people peek through the window from the first and second stories of the home. According to court documents, two of those people, identified as 19-year-old Juan Cervantes and 18-year-old Joel Santana, attempted to escape through the window and go onto the roof when they were stopped by police and told to leave through the house.

A total of seven people were taken into custody, including 19-year-old Jael Banuelos and 18-year-old Peihton Dill. According to court documents, police searched the home and found a stolen gun in the closet of the master bedroom. Police say the gun belonged to Cervantes, and two women interviewed said he was carrying it in his pocket while they were in the home.

What’s supposed to be an exciting time now has the homeowner worried about living in his new home. “It was really a scary night for me,” he said.

Neighbors who moved in just months ago now feel afraid it could happen again in some of the homes that are still vacant. “I was really concerned they were going to destroy my windows or house. I was really scared they were going to attack me or something,” one neighbor said. The owner just bought security cameras for his home because of this and says his neighbors are talking on WhatsApp about hiring security at night.

Cervantes, Santana, Banuelos, and Dill were arrested and taken into custody by Glendale police. They all face multiple charges, including criminal trespassing and criminal damage. In addition, Cervantes faces charges of theft and second-degree burglary.

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