A homeowner slept in his closet with a gun to confront the man who had been squatting in his house for months, reports say

• A Florida homeowner said he returned from a long vacation to find his home trashed and burglarized.
• He said he slept in a closet overnight with a handgun in his plan to confront the individual.

A Florida homeowner slept in a closet, armed with a handgun, as part of a plan to take matters into his own hands after he found out a man had been squatting in his home for months while the owner was on a long vacation, multiple news outlets reported.

The homeowner, whose name has not been released, returned from a seven-month trip to New Zealand on June 9 to find that his northern Florida home had been vandalized and burglarized, Fox 35 Orlando reported, citing an affidavit from the Marion County Sheriff's Office.

Determined to catch the person responsible for this, the homeowner said he slept in a closet with a handgun and awaited the return of the squatter, according to reports.

About 8 p.m., the homeowner's alarm sounded, and he woke up to find Ze'Moye Brown, 26, peering into the room, Fox 35 Orlando reported.

The homeowner yelled at Brown to get out of his house, with the two men arguing about who actually owned the property, the local news outlet said.

The homeowner then fired a shot at the front door, causing Brown to flee, Fox 35 Orlando said.

Brown called the police, saying he was shot and claiming to be the house's rightful owner, DailyMail.com reported.

He was later placed under arrest. During a search, he was found to have methamphetamine and a small amount of marijuana in his possession, records showed.

Brown was charged with felony drug possession, as well as misdemeanor marijuana possession and trespassing. He was booked and is being held on a $4,000 bond.

He told authorities that he had been living at the home for "a few months," adding that the windows were unlocked when he arrived and that the house had been vacant for years, Fox 35 Orlando reported.

Brown denied stealing any items that the owner reported missing, the news outlet said.

Marion County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.