MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis woman is charged after Shelby County deputies said she broke into a home that was being renovated, then tried to claim it was hers.
Pamela Hopkins, 55, is charged with burglary after being arrested May 2, 2022. She is currently out of jail on her own recognizance.
According to the affidavit, the homeowner had bought the house on Old Forest Road in January 2022. She said she had been doing renovations and had not yet moved in. Monday, she told deputies she showed up about 5 p.m. to check on the house when she found a vehicle in the garage, then another woman she didn’t know inside.
The woman who was in the home was identified as Hopkins, who, according to the affidavit, told investigators her uncle had died and left her the home in his will. But they said Hopkins could not provide documentation to prove her claim. The report said Hopkins told investigators she saw a contractor painting the garage and asked him about the home, and that that person gave her keys to the house. Deputies said she told them after she got the keys, she moved in on April 29th and changed the locks on the front and back doors.
Investigators said the woman who actually owned the home was able to provide paperwork showing she had bought the house in January of this year.
