A man was caught secretly living inside a crawl space at an Oregon condominium complex after its owner heard ‘strange noises’ coming from the building.
Police discovered the makeshift residence – which included a bed, a television, lights chargers and other electronics hooked up to the building – at the complex near Happy Valley in suburban Portland.
Authorities also found a pipe with methamphetamine residue after searching the clandestine living space on Wednesday, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office said.
Beniamin Bucur, 40, had been ‘living there for an extended period of time’ and was charged with first-degree burglary and unlawful possession of methamphetamine.
Police were tipped off after a witness spotted a man who didn’t live at the complex parking his car there and sneaking around the back of the building.
The witness also saw an open door to the crawl space with light coming from the inside before the door suddenly closed.
At the scene, police found the crawl space door damaged and locked, as well as an extension cord snaking through a vent.
The owner’s key didn’t work, so officers broke in to make the startling discovery.
Police discovered the makeshift residence – which included a bed, a television, lights chargers and other electronics hooked up to the building – at a condominium complex in suburban Portland
Police were tipped off after a witness spotted a man who didn’t live at the complex parking his car there and sneaking around the back of the building
Beniamin Bucur, 40, had been ‘living there for an extended period of time’ and was charged with first-degree burglary and unlawful possession of methamphetamine
‘[Bucur] had taken significant steps to improve the conditions of the crawl space and was obviously living inside,’ the sheriff’s office said.
He was booked at Clackamas County jail on Thursday, and a judge set his bail at $75,000.
Bucur has a long rap sheet, including convictions for burglary and assault.
There were 568 homeless people reported in Clackamas County in January, up from 410 in 2023.
That same month, Portland reported 5,398 unsheltered homeless people, a record for the city.
