A Nebraska couple claims their family home was allegedly turned into a meth lab by Airbnb guests.
Daniel and Jocelyn Medrano’s house in Omaha was severely damaged after they listed it as a vacation rental over the holiday season, according to NBC-affiliate WOWT. Now, the couple is facing steep fees to repair their home, as it is currently unlivable.
The Medranos told WOWT that they have rented out their house for the last two years to assist with travel costs. They were excited to receive an 11-day booking, as it paid for their recent trip to Florida.
However, the situation soon turned into a nightmare after the guest allegedly used their home to make large quantities of meth and was involved in a drug bust by the Omaha Police Department.
A spokesperson for Airbnb told PEOPLE in a statement, “The reported criminal activity has no place on Airbnb, and we have removed the guest from the platform. We are supporting the impacted host, including under our Aircover host damage protection, and stand ready to assist the Omaha Police Department with their investigation.”
PEOPLE reached out to the Omaha Police Department but did not receive a response on Sunday, Dec. 19.
The couple said, per WOWT, that the guest paid for the rental using the instant booking feature on the Airbnb platform and was late for his scheduled check-in.
The pair kept an eye on their home using outside surveillance cameras, which is how Jocelyn found out that the guest was bringing other people into the house who were not on the booking reservation.
She then messaged the man to tell him that he could not bring additional guests to the property as it is against Airbnb policy, according to WOWT.
Daniel and Jocelyn continued to monitor their home and later saw the men leaving and entering their home with utility fans, pots and four bags of white powder, per the outlet.
Daniel told WOWT that at that point, neighbors began to reach out about the situation, which prompted him and his wife to contact authorities.
The Omaha Police Department eventually set up surveillance outside the home to keep a close eye on the unruly guests, according to the local outlet.
“They got into a vehicle and left, so we ended up following that vehicle and doing a traffic stop on them,” Lt. Steve Fornoff told WOWT. “We utilized our K-9 handlers. They came on scene, they ran a dog around the car and got a positive alert for narcotics.”
Police said the Airbnb guests had allegedly produced more than 100 pounds of meth in less than a week, per the outlet. All three men were arrested on drug charges, according to WOWT.
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Following the arrests, the Medranos are now dealing with the aftermath. They told WOWT that chemical dust was left throughout the home, as well as a strong smell of ammonia and shards of meth.
“They used our bedroom as the drying room, same with my daughter’s room. They would dry the crystal meth there,” Daniel told the outlet. “They cook the crystal meth in our kitchen and then use our bedroom for drying.”
The family received an estimate of more than $26,000 to repair the home, which Jocelyn noted, does not include replacing the damaged furniture or paint.
The Medranos said they will not be returning to their home for multiple months and are currently staying with friends. The couple is working with Airbnb and contractors to begin the repairs process.
Airbnb currently offers a host damage protection called AirCover, which provides up to $3 million protection in the event of property damage to a home or host’s belongings during a stay. The protections include reimbursements for deep cleaning and damaged valuables.
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