There’s something about coastal states that seems to draw the absurd. Florida often bears the brunt of the jokes, and one could make a strong case for that. There are alligators, of course, and a steady stream of wild, police-related stories coming out of the state (remember the bath salt guy?). But a recent call for service in the Golden State may put California back in the running.

In early November, police in Los Angeles had to use tear gas to remove a man living under a 93-year-old woman’s El Sereno home. NBC Los Angeles reported that the elderly woman discovered her uninvited roommate after hearing strange noises for several weeks.

“It was usually late at night, and we just chucked it off to animals living under the house,” said Ricardo Silva, the woman’s son-in-law.

Eventually, the noise grew distinct enough that the police were summoned.

When officers arrived, they found 27-year-old Isaac Betancourt living in the crawl space beneath the house, dressed in nothing but dirt and debris. The officers displayed great patience, spending several hours trying to coax the intruder out. When pleas and the threat of police canines failed to produce results, the long-suffering crime fighters resorted to tear gas.

Finding himself suddenly more compliant, Betancourt exited his burrow and surrendered to the police. He was subsequently arrested for trespassing. The family will be securing the entrance to the crawl space, officially closing the subterranean hotel for business.