The police arrested a man naked in access space under house El Sereno, California of a 93-year-old woman on Friday morning.

Los Angeles police said they spent hours trying to get the man out before they had to use tear gas, causing a commotion in the neighborhood and forcing people inside the home to find somewhere else to hide. to sleep

The disturbing incident came after the woman and her family reported hearing strange noises for weeks.

“Usually it was late at night and I just threw it to the animals that were under the house,” said Ricardo Silva, the woman’s son-in-law.

However, on Thursday night, Silva said the noise grew louder.

“The noises were a kind of beating. It was like, while my wife was walking, they were knocking from under the house, so she was like, ‘You know something’s wrong,'” Silva said.

Family members at the home immediately called the police, and when officers arrived, they found a naked man in the crawl space.

The man was identified as 27-year-old Issac Betancourt.

“He refused to leave. He wasn’t scared of the dogs, and the first two gas attempts didn’t put him off,” said Silva.

Betancourt didn’t give in easily, according to police. After hours of refusing to come out, the Los Angeles Police Department said officers had to use tear gas to get him out.

It’s unclear how long Betancourt was under the house, but the family suspects it may have been up to six months.

The driveway itself is only about 2 feet high and spans under the entire house with three entrances. The family believes he used one to come and go.

“It’s a bizarre thing, but it’s probably not unusual, you know. Nowadays, people are looking for shelter,” said Silva.

The family says they will secure the driveway to prevent this from happening again

Betancourt was arrested for trespassing, the LAPD said. It was unclear if he had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.