A villager detained in a SWAT standoff last year has defaulted on her father’s mortgage.
Jana Stafinsky, 53, is still being held without bond following the almost five-hour standoff on November 20 at her home at 2186 Broxton Place in the Village of Ashland.
Her father paid $140,700 for the home in 2004 and took out a new mortgage with Freedom Mortgage in 2021. Jana Stafinsky took over the mortgage at some time. It’s uncertain whether her father is still alive. In a case filed in Sumter County Court, Freedom Mortgage asserts that Stafinsky owes $214,050 and has not made any payments since September.
Financial pressures may have prompted Stafinsky to look for a renter. Last year, she took in a renter who paid $1,000 per month to reside in a room in her home. The renter was abruptly asked to leave and went to court to collect her belongings, which were still in the Stafinsky home.
When a deputy arrived to serve Stafinsky with a court document, he pointed a revolver at the officer. The deputy quickly called backup, and Stafinsky barricaded herself inside the house. A negotiator eventually convinced her to surrender several hours later.
Stafinsky remains in jail without bond. She had drafted a pro se motion seeking her release, but a court denied it.
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