An Oregon man was discovered secretly living in a crawl space beneath a condominium, complete with a bed, television, chargers, and a meth pipe.
The man, identified as 40-year-old Beniamin Bucur, is now facing felony burglary and drug charges after deputies say he took up illegal residence under the unit, converting the narrow, hidden space into a makeshift home powered by the building’s electricity.
The bizarre case unfolded late Wednesday night at a condo complex on Southeast Old Town Court in unincorporated Clackamas County – 16 miles from Portland.
Around 11 p.m., a witness noticed a man who didn’t appear to live at the property park in the lot and walk toward the back of one of the buildings.
Moments later, they spotted light glowing from the crawl space – before the door mysteriously shut.
The man, identified as 40-year-old Beniamin Bucur, is now facing felony burglary and drug charges after deputies say he took up illegal residence under the unit, converting the narrow, hidden space into a makeshift home powered by the building’s electricity.
The bizarre case unfolded late Wednesday night at a condo complex on Southeast Old Town Court in unincorporated Clackamas County (pictured) – 16 miles from Portland
When deputies eventually arrived, they found the crawl space door damaged and locked.
An extension cord was seen snaking through a nearby vent.
Suspicious, deputies contacted the homeowner, who confirmed no one should be down there – and mentioned they’d recently heard odd noises coming from the area.
After the owner’s keys to the additional space didn’t work, deputies forced their way into the crawl space where they found Bucur living inside.
‘He had taken significant steps to improve the conditions of the crawl space and was obviously living inside,’ the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Inside, deputies found a setup that included a bed, lighting, phone chargers, televisions, and various electronics – all drawing power from the unit above.
Authorities estimate Bucur had been living in the crawl space for ‘an extended period of time.’
A witness noticed a man who didn’t appear to live at the property park in the lot and walk toward the back of one of the buildings. Pictured: Deputies found a setup that included a bed, lighting, phone chargers, televisions, and various electronics
Also recovered from the space was a pipe containing white residue that tested positive for methamphetamine
Deputies found a setup that included a bed, lighting, phone chargers, televisions, and various electronics – all drawing power from the unit above (pictured)
Also recovered from the space was a pipe containing white residue that tested positive for methamphetamine.
Bucur was arrested at the scene and booked into the Clackamas County Jail.
He is charged with first-degree burglary and unlawful possession of meth.
A judge set his bail at $75,000 during a preliminary hearing on Thursday.
Officials have not said how long Bucur had been living beneath the unit undetected, but the discovery has left neighbors shocked.
