It Wasn't Mice Making Noises in Va. Woman's Attic

A Virginia woman was surprised to learn the nocturnal noises coming from the attic weren't from the expected sources. It wasn't critters creaking the floorboards, or even her landlord, who uses the space. When police investigated, they found a homeless man had set up camp. The drama began early last Friday. "I heard footsteps above me, and I checked in with my landlord, because sometimes he's used the storage above," the unidentified woman tells NBC Washington. The landlord called Arlington police around 1:30am. Responding officers called out as they climbed the stairs, and "the subject came forward,” says spokeswoman Ashley Savage, per the New York Times, and "was taken into custody without any incident." The man, identified as Anthony Jones, 60, was booked on an unlawful entry charge, per a police statement.

Officers found his backpack, clothes, and bedding in the attic. He refused to speak to cops and it's unclear how long he had been living there, though he's thought to have entered the house through a sliding glass door. Jones was being held without bail. The Times notes the homeless population in Arlington has dipped since the Washington, DC, suburb launched a "10-year plan to end homelessness" in 2008. There were 232 people on the streets in an annual count last January, up from 174 one year earlier. The Arlington homeless rate of 5.9 per 10,000 is far lower than the national average of 17 per 10,000 people. (New homeowners in Houston found a scary surprise in the attic.)