About a month or so ago a guy walked into my apartment at about three in the morning. I was reading a book on the couch while one of my roommates was dozing off in a chair watching TV.
The door opened downstairs. A guy came up the stairs and almost made it to the top before I ran over to them (had to run down a short hall and around a corner) and blocked him at the top. I asked who he was (more like screamed “WHO ARE YOU?!?”) He looked a bit confused… but not confrontational. He was in his early to mid 30s, I’d say, wearing a corduroy jacket and red flannel shirt. He apologized profusely and said he thought this was his friend’s house and that he was lost. I told him he was in the wrong house and to leave. He asked if he could use a phone (it was a cold night and he said he just wanted to call his friend to find the address and go on his way). I should’ve said no but it was a cold night and the guy seemed like he made an honest mistake and just wanted to go to his friend’s place.
I handed him my cell phone and said for him to just stand on the porch for a moment, call his friend, and go. I stood with the door cracked… If he tried to run off with my phone I could easily run up and tackle him down if necessary… I doubted it would, though, he seemed sincere and apologetic.
He took a moment to find a number he had and called it. He talked for about twenty seconds saying “Hey, It’s so and so, yeah, I just walked into someone’s house thinking its yours, I feel so bad, well the guy was nice enough to let me use his phone”… Before suddenly BLOWING UP (verbally that is). “NO! I SWEAR IT WASN’T A DRUG DEAL! I DON’T HAVE THE MONEY! ASK SO AND SO ABOUT IT!” I
I jammed my foot behind the door so he couldn’t charge it and barge in and yelled for him to give me my phone NOW. He ignored me and kept on screaming into my cell phone, pacing the porch. I yelled up for my roommates (who were standing at the top of the stairs) to call the police. I yelled to the guy that the police were being called and to give me the phone and LEAVE.
He closed my phone and, swearing under his breath over and over, handed it back to me. I slammed the door and locked it. He stayed on the porch for a short period longer before walking down the steps.
I went up the stairs and my roommate handed me her phone (she was talking to the police). I told them as I looked out the window that he was standing in the middle of the street looking back to the house… I think he was saying something but I don’t know… The window was closed but his body was somewhat animated (moving as if he was pissed off and talking).
I was talking on the phone to the police and went back to the window about 15 seconds later. He was getting into a taxi… He must’ve waved it down because he definitely didn’t call one from my phone. I told the police this and they said “ok, hold on.” I assume they called up the taxi service because the taxi didn’t pull away. About one minute later the police pulled up behind the taxi. I told the officer on the phone that a squad car had shown up and said thank you. I hung up.
One of the two officers came to the door and asked us what had happened… I told him the whole story. He took his notes and asked if we wanted to press charges. My roommate said yes and said she would go to the station to sign the paperwork.
The other officer came up the stairs shortly and said he had arrested the man for disorderly conduct… He had started something with the officer while we were talking to his partner. The officer also said he had been told to leave downtown some hours before for being disorderly. I don’t know the specifics on that.
Away they all go.
A couple of days ago I get a phone call from the assistant D.A. asking to talk about the case. I told her I remembered the incident well and she asked what had happened. I told her the whole story again.
She said the guy and his lawyer were saying that he was never asked to leave the apartment (I asked him at least twice, once on the stairs and once while he was on the porch), that he had never gotten into an argument on my phone and that he had simply tried to call the hospital (he has documented mental health issues, the D.A. said, and that he said he was calling the hospital to see if he could get emergency treatment). She also said he had an extensive criminal record as well.
I guess the police statement (I never saw it, my roommate signed it and said it was accurate) didn’t have all the details. How it didn’t I don’t know… The whole argument was plain and simple. He walked into the apartment, was asked to leave and caused a loud scene on the porch. In the end an order of protection was put on the house and everyone that lives here.
I told her that, no, he didn’t call the hospital and if they wanted to they get phone records from my cell phone provider showing he didn’t. I also told her that I had asked him to leave a couple of times. She told me I might need to testify. I said fine, last thing I need is this guy stalking us if the case were dismissed… I want him to know DON’T DO THIS. After I found out about his criminal record I’m wondering if his showing up on our steps was a mistake after all… Maybe he knew I had a female roommate? Maybe he just wanted to break in and steal a TV? I don’t know his thought process… he does have extensive mental disorders I was told. Either way I wan’t him to know BAD! NO! DON’T DO IT! YOU WILL BE PUNISHED FOR GOING THERE!
Hopefully they give him some mental care as well.
