BEAUMONT — Beaumont Police and the Jefferson County Appraisal District have both started investigating a man who is living at a house at 2346 Fillmore Street, neighbors say 56-year-old Billy Hays is a squatter.
Homeowners claim Hays showed up three weeks ago, claiming he used a FEMA grant to buy the property.
"I thought I hadn't seen FEMA hand out any money lately, but who knows maybe he saved some money," says neighbor Sofie Gonzales. "Then I started noticing he would only move in at night."
The Jefferson County Tax Assessor says the property is owned by the Contreras Estate.
Neighbors tell us the owner passed away several years ago and willed it to her daughter.
"The owner said that she didn't know anything, she had never seen that man in her life," says neighbor Flora Armstead. "He just moved in there."
Gonzales says, since Hays moved in, the home has fallen into disrepair.
"Just because the house is vacant, doesn't mean that it's open for everybody to just come," she said.
DPS sex offender records show Billy Hays reported the home on Fillmore as his new address on September 6.
He was convicted of indecent exposure to multiple children, both boys and girls, between the of ages of 8 and 12 before 1992.
"My concern is that he will harm one of these kids and one kid harmed is one too many," Sofie's mother Juanita Gonzales said.
Beaumont police say when it comes to the sex offender registry, Hays has done everything within the letter of the law.
Yet, they're investigating whether he can legally live at the house.
"He should've been gone. We shouldn't have to be watching out for these kids, meeting these kids at their bus," says Armstead. "Taking them home to their house and waiting on their parents to come and pick them up."
Hays spoke to 12News off camera saying, "I am a sex offender, but I'm not a predator."
Hays added he has made tax payments on the property.
Allison Nathan Getz, Jefferson County Tax Assessor-Collector, tells us the property is $11,000 delinquent in taxes, and they have a judgment against the current owner, Contreras.
The property could be put up for a sheriff auction if it's not taken care of.
Beaumont Police confirm Hays paid $15 dollars toward delinquent property taxes a few weeks ago.
Neighbors believe Hays got a driver's license from the DMV, without showing proof of residency.
Then, they say he updated his sex offender registry with Beaumont Police.
A check of the state registry proves that.
"Honestly I think it was ingenious. It didn't work but it was ingenious," says Gonzales. "Nice try, not in our neighborhood and not with our children."
We'll continue to follow up with any new information we receive.