A resident in Bangor, Maine, received a terrifying shock this Sunday morning upon discovering an uninvited guest fast asleep on their living room sofa.
The Unwelcome House Guest
Jose Harvey, a 50-year-old from Milford, was arrested after the startled homeowner woke to find him snoozing in their State Street apartment. According to the Bangor Police Department, the resident immediately contacted the authorities when Harvey refused to leave the premises.
Officers arriving at the scene made a further unsettling discovery. The resident confirmed that all their carefully wrapped Christmas presents, which had been left near the sofa, had been torn open. Police established that the home's doors had been securely locked, but an open bathroom window was identified as the probable point of entry.
A Festive Crime with No Explanation
Law enforcement officials, who recognised Harvey from previous encounters, stated that the intruder could not provide any logical reason for his presence in the apartment. The Bangor Police Department later took to social media to comment on the bizarre incident with a touch of grim humour.
"Surprises like this don't put any of us in a festive mood," they quipped in a Facebook post, "but even the Grinch figured out the chimney is always an option." Harvey now faces a charge of aggravated criminal trespass.
Public Safety Reminders After the Incident
In the wake of the event, police have issued fresh advice to the public concerning home security. They strongly urged residents to ensure all doors and windows are locked, especially during the festive period. Furthermore, they advised keeping gifts and shopping packages out of vehicles and well out of sight to avoid tempting potential thieves.
The police's Facebook post about the incident sparked a flurry of comments, with many users expressing amazement not at the crime itself, but at the homeowner's impressive level of organisation. One user wrote, "Hold on. Is no one else impressed with the fact that they had Christmas presents wrapped already?!?!?"
Another commented, "This is why I don't wrap presents until the last minute because I don't want to have to do it again." While some showed a degree of sympathy, with one user suggesting, "Maybe just maybe he wanted to experience Christmas like when he was a child," the general consensus was one of shock at the violation. As a fourth user succinctly put it, "Breaking in is one thing but unwrapping the Christmas gifts? Too far, man."
