Sheriff’s deputies on Wednesday arrested a man after he was found living in the crawl space of a condo complex in unincorporated Clackamas County — with a bed, lights and TVs.
Beniamin Bucur, 40, of Forest Grove, faces charges of first-degree burglary and methamphetamine possession for allegedly squatting in the condominium complex on Southeast Old Town Court for “an extended period of time,” the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Sheriff’s officials said that a witness spotted a man walking to the back of one of the buildings after he parked his car, and saw that the door to the crawl space was open and light was coming from inside. The witness didn’t recognize the man as a resident, officials said, and called the sheriff’s office after they watched the man close the door to the crawl space behind him.
When deputies arrived they found that the door to the crawl space was damaged and locked, and they noticed an extension cord running through a vent, officials said.
Deputies talked to the owner of the building, who told them that they’d heard strange sounds coming from the crawl space, but people weren’t supposed to be down there, officials said.
The deputies breached the door to the crawl space after the keys the owner gave them didn’t work and found Bucur inside — along with a bed and a host of electronic devices plugged into the building’s power, officials said.
Officials also accused Bucor of having a pipe with meth residue when they arrested him.
Bucor was previously convicted of fourth-degree assault and harassment in 2022, second-degree theft and resisting arrest in 2019, and second-degree burglary in 2018.
He is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.
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