SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A Sacramento woman who spent more than a month in the hospital with serious illnesses says when she returned home, it had been taken over and ransacked by strangers.

A suspect is now behind bars charged with burglary, while the woman is left to figure out how to rebuild her life.

Erin Anderson’s home was her safe haven until it was taken over by squatters.

“This is not what my house looked like,” she said. “When I walked in, I was really overwhelmed and almost couldn’t speak.”

To make matters worse, it all happened while she was in the hospital for more than 30 days suffering from pneumonia and sepsis.

“My health is such that I don’t feel like I will ever be able to fix all the damage that they have done.”

As soon as Anderson was discharged from the hospital, she turned her phone on to find a message from her landscaper, claiming her home had appeared to be broken into. She later found out, burglars had struck many times, making themselves right at home inside. Anderson says every piece of her clothing was stolen, along with family photos and too many other belongings to list.

“Slowly loading my items into their car and then take it out on a daily basis.”

What is left inside is destroyed, Anderson says. The squatters also brought in their own items, appeared to start re-decorating her home and even changed her locks. Anderson also claims they rummaged through all her legal documents and have already stolen her identity, opening cellphone and credit card accounts in her name.

“It’s just devastating. They take everything that you have worked for your whole life to obtain.”

Neighbors tell CBS13 they first noticed strangers inside the home about two weeks into Anderson’s hospital stay, and from then on saw them coming and going often.

“We saw somebody looking at us through the blinds,” said Jason Estes.

Police were called and a 23-year-old man was arrested and charged with burglary.

“A large amount of property had been removed from the house and this individual was located on the premises while this was discovered,” said Sacramento Police officer Eddie Macaulay.

Stealing a home while its owner lies sick in the hospital. Anderson says she’s unsure if be able to recover from this type of devastation.

“I mean, violated in the most intimate way,” said Anderson, “It does feel like a bad dream because it feels like it never ends.”

Anderson is staying at a hotel for now as she figures out how to move forward from the mess and back into her home. She says she’s hoping insurance will help fix some of the damage and replace what was stolen and says her illness limits her ability to clean everything up.

Sacramento police say it does appear more than one person has been staying in her home and say the department, along with the Sacramento County District Attorney’s office are still investigating.