A former Marine whose foreclosure case made headlines and support of the Occupy movement lost the battle to keep his home on Friday when a Riverside judge ordered him to move out in five days.
Arturo de los Santos faces no jail nor a fine after he admitted to breaking back into his foreclosed home in June 2011.
De Los Santos has been fighting foreclosure for several months. The Occupy movement has come to his assistance. His past service as a Marine has lent him support.
Arturo De Los Santos has apparently not made a payment for two years.
Judge John Vineyard allowed NBC4 News to cover this unusual case.
The defendant had been denied a loan modification and was accused of contempt of court for breaking into the foreclosed home -- living there since December.
De los Santo's attorney blamed the housing meltdown and confusion by his client, saying the case represents "a tsunami of the horrendous events that have been happening surrounding foreclosures."
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In court, De los Santo's attorney asked -- how can somebody be held in contempt of court if they didn't know that was the case.
The judge didn't buy it.
He ruled de los Santos was in contempt, and gave him five days to move out. Attorneys for the new mortgage company didn't ask for fines, or jail time, just the house.
The sheriff is now ordered to evict De los Santos next week.
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