Man Found Living in Crawlspace of Oregon Condominium

Residents of a peaceful condominium near Happy Valley, Oregon, were stunned when they discovered a man had been living undetected inside a crawlspace for an extended period. The man, identified as Beniamin Bucur, 40, had secretly accessed an intermediate storage area within the property and transformed it into a makeshift home, complete with lights, furniture, televisions, and even an Xbox gaming console, according to authorities.

The discovery occurred after a resident reported seeing a suspicious individual park his car and wander behind one of the buildings late at night. Upon investigation, deputies found that the crawlspace door was left open, with light emanating from inside—an unusual sign since no power was supposed to be available at the site. The resident admitted to hearing strange noises from the crawlspace previously but had not checked further.

Deputies forcibly entered the hidden space and found Bucur amid furnishings he had allegedly stolen over time, including a bed, TVs, chargers, and electronics that were drawing power from the home. Items such as an Xbox controller, electric fan, and a camping chair were also among the items in the crawlspace. It was evident that Bucur had made significant efforts to improve his living conditions inside the cramped space, which he was actively inhabiting.

Police seized a pipe with a white residue, resulting in Bucur’s first-degree burglary charge and later, a charge of unlawful possession of methamphetamine. He is currently held on a $75,000 bond at Clackamas County Jail. A woman claiming to be the mother of Bucur’s 5-year-old daughter expressed remorse and suggested that incarceration is the only way to keep him sober, according to a social media post.

Certain online commenters remarked on Bucur’s resourcefulness, noting that his ingenuity—albeit illegal—demonstrated cleverness at avoiding street life and saving on housing costs.