40-Year-Old Man Discovered Living in Crawl Space of Oregon Home After Homeowner Heard 'Strange Noises' By Becca Longmire

A 40-year-old man in Oregon has been arrested after he was discovered living in a homeowner’s crawl space “for an extended period of time,” authorities have said.

On Wednesday, Sept. 3, shortly before 11 p.m. local time, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a “suspicious circumstance at a condominium complex on SE Old Town Court in unincorporated Clackamas County, near Happy Valley,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release shared on Facebook.

“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 sheriff’s office said, alongside multiple photos of the crawl space.

“The witness also noticed the door to the crawl space was open and light was coming from inside. The door then closed. When deputies arrived, they noticed the door to the crawl space was damaged and now locked,” the release stated.

The post said that “an extension cord was seen running through a vent,” so deputies contacted the homeowner, who insisted “that nobody was supposed to be down there and that there shouldn’t be any lights on inside.” 

The homeowner claimed they’d previously heard weird noises coming from the area.

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Police shared, “The owner also reported that they had heard strange noises coming from the crawl space before. The owner gave keys to the deputies to open the crawl space, but they did not work.” 

Officers breached the door and found a man, identified as Beniamin Bucur, 40, inside.

“He had taken significant steps to improve the conditions of the crawl space and was obviously living inside. Deputies observed a bed, lights, chargers, TVs, and other electronics plugged into the power of the house,” the sheriff’s office said, adding that “deputies estimate he had been living there for an extended period of time.” 

“A pipe with white residue that tested positive for methamphetamine was also found,” the release noted.

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Bucur was transported to the Clackamas County Jail, where he was booked on charges of burglary in the first degree and unlawful possession of methamphetamine, the sheriff’s office confirmed.

A preliminary hearing took place on Thursday, Sept. 4, and a judge set Bucur’s bail at $75,000.

The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for further information.