EL SERENO, CA – In a strange twist of events, authorities in El Sereno uncovered an unsettling scene beneath a local residence, where a naked man had taken refuge in the crawl space of a 93-year-old woman’s home. The revelation followed weeks of unexplained noises that had initially been brushed off as the sounds of urban wildlife.
The elderly homeowner and her relatives had attributed the odd sounds to creatures like possums or raccoons. However, the disturbances took a more alarming turn on Thursday night, prompting Ricardo Silva, a family member, to suspect something more troubling was at play.
When police responded to the family’s call, they discovered Isaac Betancourt, aged 27, hiding under the house. Despite attempts to persuade him to exit peacefully, Betancourt remained defiant, seemingly unfazed by the family’s pets and initial tear gas deployment.
The situation escalated into a prolonged standoff, necessitating further use of tear gas to extract Betancourt. The incident caused a significant uproar in the neighborhood and temporarily displaced the family from their home.
Investigators are working to determine the duration of Betancourt’s stay, with the family speculating he may have lived there for up to six months. The crawl space, characterized by its low clearance and extensive reach, provided Betancourt with discreet entry and exit points.
While such intrusions are uncommon, they highlight the desperate measures some individuals might resort to in search of shelter. The family is now taking steps to fortify the crawl space against future breaches.
The area remains inaccessible due to lingering tear gas, preventing the family from checking if Betancourt left any personal items behind. The Los Angeles Police Department has charged Betancourt with trespassing.