Homeless Woman Lived In a Man's Closet For a Year



A homeless woman who sneaked into a man’s house and lived undetected in his closet for a year was finally arrested when the man became suspicious of food that mysteriously began disappearing. Police in Japan found 58-year-old Tatsuko Horikawa hiding in the top compartment of the man’s closet and arrested her for trespassing. The homeowner had installed security cameras that transmitted images to his mobile phone after he became puzzled by food that was missing from his cabinets and refrigerator. One of the cameras captured a person moving inside the home, which prompted the man to call police. However, when police arrived, they found the home’s doors and windows closed and locked. When they were able to gain access and began a thorough search of the house, one of the officers slid open a shelf in the closet where Horikawa was hiding and found her curled up on her side. An interview with the woman revealed that she had moved a small mattress into the closet space and apparently even took showers while the homeowner was at work. Horikawa did not steal any money from the homeowner, and so was charged only with trespassing.