Authorities in Oregon said they arrested a man who was found secretly living in the crawl space of a condominium complex after its owner reported hearing ‘strange noises’ coming from the area. The space allegedly occupied by 40-year-old Beniamin Bucur included a ‘bed, lights, chargers, TVs, and other electronics plugged into the power of the house,’ according to the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office. Police noted that Bucur had taken significant steps to improve the conditions of the crawl space and was obviously living inside, estimating he had been residing there for an extended period. A pipe with white residue that tested positive for methamphetamine was also discovered by investigators.
Police uncovered the secret living area after a witness reported seeing a man who was not known to live in the complex parking his car and walking to the back of one of the buildings. The witness also noticed the door to the crawl space was open and light was coming from inside, which then closed. When deputies arrived, they found the door damaged and locked, with an extension cord running through a vent. After contacting the owner, deputies were told that nobody was supposed to be down there and that there shouldn’t be any lights on inside. The owner also reported having heard strange noises coming from the crawl space before.
Despite being given keys to the crawl space, the deputies found they did not work and had to breach the door to locate the suspect. Bucur was identified as the 40-year-old man and was charged with first-degree burglary and unlawful possession of methamphetamine, with his bail set at $75,00,000. One photo released by investigators showed a flat-screen television tied to a beam inside the crawl space, while another depicted string lights crisscrossing the ceiling, illuminating the area.