Police are reminding you to lock your doors after a Vancouver Islander recently awoke to find a stranger asleep on her couch.
A South Nanaimo woman called the police early Monday morning, with a report of a drunken man who had passed out in the living room of her townhome.
The 22-year-old man was arrested for break and enter and taken to cells to sober up.
The homeowner opted not to press charges and told officers she had forgotten to lock her doors before going to bed, which she assumes is how he got in.
“There were no signs of forced entry and nothing was missing,” says the Nanaimo RCMP news release. “The officers and homeowner surmised that the individual had simply wandered into the wrong townhouse.”
Constable Gary O’Brien says it appears to have been an alcohol-fueled case of mistaken identity.
“The officers attempted to speak with the individual but due to his impaired state, he could barely recall his own name,” says O’Brien. “It was certainly a wake-up call for the homeowner and a great reminder for everyone, to ensure all exterior doors and windows are locked before retiring for the evening.”
