San Francisco’s squatter queen smashed with charges after cops make horrifying discovery in $4M mansion
A bizarre year-long saga of squatters taking over a $4.4 million San Francisco mansion has taken a stunning turn with one of the alleged squatters now facing multiple new criminal charges — after cops made sordid discoveries inside the “stolen” luxury home.
Diana Peng, 42, was charged with firearms, narcotics and animal neglect offenses by the San Francisco district attorney after officers executed a search warrant and discovered seven “neglected” dogs, methamphetamine and a firearm.
Peng, a felon, pled not guilty and was released by a judge with multiple imposed conditions, such as staying 150 yards away from the mansion, wearing an ankle monitor and attending a weekly Narcotics Anonymous class.
Peng, who under California law cannot be detained pending trial for nonviolent crimes, is not allowed to have firearms or animals, the judge said.
An investigation is ongoing, the district attorney said, and is separate from the wider saga surrounding the property at 250 32nd Ave.
Over the past year, the home in the Sea Cliff neighborhood — one of the most elite, affluent, and visually stunning neighborhoods in San Francisco — has apparently become a revolving door of unfamiliar faces, with neighbors reporting unwelcome activity at all hours.
“It really has been a 24-hour surveillance that’s going on,” one neighbor told ABC. “People are at a breaking point.”
The city accused Peng and another alleged squatter, Brandon Aadee, of using forged and altered deeds to claim the property and sell it for profit. The city last month put the house up for auction in an effort to recoup unpaid taxes.
Neighbors say the property appeared to have been abandoned by its owner in 2020. But a group of roughly a dozen people began showing up at the house, with some apparently moving in.
Neighbors said they complained to the city over the past year after a damaged water main outside the disputed mansion caused flooding. Some complained of stolen property and fears of intruders in their own homes.
The property belongs to Wei Wang, an absentee Chinese owner, according to what investigators say is the legitimate deed. Wang has apparently been struggling to enter the US to secure the property and is years behind on taxes.
Peng is no stranger to crime herself.
She was convicted of felony perjury in San Mateo County in March 2008 and sentenced to three years’ probation and 90 days in jail. In 2012, facing five felonies including forgery and using another person’s ID, she pleaded to identity theft and commercial burglary and served seven months.
Law enforcement said they found a “sheer amount” of ammunition during the search, which indicated an “increasing level of criminality,” Assistant District Attorney Victoria Robinson reportedly said at court.
After the search, the property is apparently now boarded up with “No Trespassing” signs, local media reported.
Rita Williams, a neighbor, told SFGate that residents had repeatedly contacted city officials about the sounds of distressed dogs.
“It’s been sad and horrifying,” Williams said of the two adult pit bulls, four puppies and a 4-month-old dog found in the mansion.