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“Phrogging” occurs when an individual covertly takes up residence in someone else’s home. These intruders, often lacking other housing options, conceal themselves in walls, attics, or other hidden spaces. They silently monitor the homeowners’ routines, venturing out at night while the residents sleep. In some cases, they consume food, relocate items, or even steal belongings.
This crime resembles burglary or squatting but is far more intrusive. Even after law enforcement removes the intruders, the emotional trauma lingers for the victims. These ten accounts of phrogging are chilling, eerie, and occasionally violent.
10. The Most Notorious Phrogger
In 1986, Daniel LaPlante, a troubled 17-year-old from Massachusetts, became fixated on a local teen named Tina Bowen. He infiltrated the Bowen family home, hiding in a wall cavity near the bathroom. LaPlante terrorized the family by creating eerie sounds, raiding the fridge at night, and tampering with the TV. Eventually, he revealed himself, holding the family hostage. Fortunately, they escaped, and LaPlante fled. Days later, he returned, leading to his arrest by the police.
Two months after his initial arrest, LaPlante, while out on bail, invaded another family’s home. During this break-in, he sexually assaulted and murdered a pregnant woman, along with her two young children. Following an extensive manhunt, LaPlante was apprehended, convicted, and sentenced to three life terms in prison.
9. The Honolulu Nightmare
In 2019, a couple from Honolulu returned from a trip to the mainland to discover a stranger had taken over their home during their absence. They contacted the police, who arrested Ezequiel Zayas for burglary. The aftermath was horrifying: their home was vandalized, furniture was stained with bodily fluids, the kitchen was cluttered with bizarre mixtures, and their belongings were scattered and ruined.
The couple also uncovered chilling messages left by the intruder, detailing plans to perform surgery on them. Knives were arranged on a bed as if ready for an operation, and Zayas had written extensive diary entries about each family member. Authorities believe he had been surveilling the family for a considerable time. The couple recalled unsettling incidents, such as webcams activating unexpectedly and doors being left unlocked. In a further twist, while awaiting trial, Zayas allegedly killed another inmate, resulting in additional charges of second-degree murder.
8. The Truth Behind the Noise
In February 2020, an Oklahoma City resident repeatedly heard odd sounds emanating from his attic. Assuming squirrels had found their way inside, he grew concerned about potential roof damage and decided to investigate. To his shock, he discovered not squirrels, but a full-grown man resting on a mattress in the crawl space.
The homeowner, horrified, detained the intruder at gunpoint and contacted the police. Officers arrived promptly and arrested the man. Further inspection revealed the trespasser had used an exterior staircase to access the attic, where he had made himself comfortable on an old mattress. Had it not been for the unusual noises that caught the homeowner’s attention, the intruder might have remained undetected for much longer.
7. Unwelcome Basement Guest
In March 2021, a Seattle couple noticed peculiar noises coming from their basement. Suspecting a break-in, they alerted the police. Upon searching the premises, officers found Thomas Gene Lewellen, a 56-year-old homeless man, in the basement. He had entered the home seeking food and shelter, bringing his possessions with him and setting up a makeshift bed.
For two days, he stayed hidden until the couple noticed the noise and dialed 9-1-1. During the night, while the couple slept, he would sneak out to take food. He admitted to police that he would sit silently, eavesdropping on their conversations and movements above him. Initially charged with burglary, Lewellen’s charge was later downgraded to criminal trespass. By late March, he was freed from jail.
6. Midnight Intruder
In June 2019, a family in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, was stunned to discover an 18-year-old man, Matthew Casto, living in their attic. Casto had entered the house unnoticed and stayed there for some time. His presence was revealed when a woman in the home spotted him at the top of the stairs. He fled to a bedroom and retreated into the attic through a crawl space before police arrived.
Investigations revealed Casto had been living in the attic for a while, sneaking down at night to spend time with the family’s 14-year-old daughter. He used a small door in the girl’s closet to move between the attic and her room. The girl, known to police for previous runaway incidents, was reportedly involved in “unruly child investigations” in the area. Casto faced charges of aggravated criminal trespass for his actions.
5. The Hidden Attic Dweller
In November 2021, a driver in Hopewell, Virginia, spotted a man emerging from the crawl space beneath a house, carrying a backpack and pillow. Suspecting a break-in, the driver alerted the police. By the time officers arrived, the man had vanished. Upon inspecting the crawl space, police discovered cigarette butts and food wrappers, indicating someone had been staying there.
For homeowner Kasey Falls, the discovery clarified weeks of confusion. Falls revealed to local media that her 4-year-old had been waking up at night, disturbed by strange noises. The family, none of whom smoked, had also found cigarette butts scattered near their home. Falls speculated that the unidentified man might have been living under their house for two to three weeks. Authorities believed he was homeless, but his identity remains unknown.
4. The OnlyFans Intruder
Mauricio Damian-Guerrero developed an obsession with an OnlyFans model after discovering her online. Initially, his fixation was confined to the digital realm, but by 2022, he had tracked down her New Hampshire address. The 20-year-old allegedly stole her keys, gaining access to her home. He hid in the attic, waiting until late at night to sneak into her room and film her while she slept.
The woman’s mother grew suspicious after hearing unusual noises from the attic. Police investigated and, in February, apprehended the man as he exited the attic onto the roof. On his phone, officers discovered videos of the woman, recorded while she slept. He confessed to breaking into her home at least four times and revealed plans to place a tracking device on her car. Damian-Guerrero was charged with four counts of burglary but was released on bail before trial. The woman obtained a restraining order against him.
3. Celebrities: Not Immune to Intrusions
In May 2013, singer Jennifer Lopez bought a luxurious $10 million Hamptons estate, marketed as a private sanctuary. However, her privacy was quickly compromised. That August, police responded to reports of a suspicious individual on the property and arrested 49-year-old John M. Dubis. He admitted to living secretly in the estate’s pool house for a week. Fortunately, Lopez was away during the incident, but the breach deeply unsettled her and her family.
Dubis faced charges including burglary and stalking, with authorities uncovering his long-standing obsession with Lopez. Known to her team, he had previously been subject to a restraining order. Due to concerns over his dangerous fixation, a judge ordered Dubis held in Suffolk County Jail without bail.
2. Nights at the Museum
In July 2022, Carson City, Nevada, police encountered a two-year-old wandering alone near the Children’s Museum of Northern Nevada. After locating the toddler’s older sister, who claimed the museum as her home address, officers investigated and found a concealed living area inside the museum. The space housed a family of seven, including Wilbert Calhoun, the museum’s janitor, his wife, the manager, and their five children, who had been living there secretly for months.
Further investigation revealed weapons hidden in a storage room, including an AK-47 rifle, three handguns, a short-barrel rifle, a pistol, a suppressor, ammunition, knives, and a taser. Drug paraphernalia was also found. Calhoun was arrested on charges of illegal weapons possession and child endangerment. Both he and his wife were dismissed from their roles. The museum’s board, shocked by the discovery, temporarily closed the facility and vowed to conduct a thorough investigation before reopening.
1. The Duplex Intruder
In April 2021, Janece Galeano of Cape Coral, Florida, awoke from a nap to an astonishing sight: a man’s legs hanging from the attic door in her garage. When confronted, the man apologized, claiming he had entered from the other side of the duplex. He then retreated into the attic. Galeano confronted her neighbor, who denied any involvement, even as the man emerged from the house.
Disturbed by the break-in, Janece contacted the police. Officers had previously visited the other half of the duplex to execute warrants. This time, they entered the attic and found $1,200 worth of damage. The intruder had reportedly accessed his own attic and breached a shared wall to enter Janece’s side. Authorities suspect he was the individual they had been pursuing and had hidden in her attic to evade capture. He escaped after Janece confronted him and before police arrived. Fortunately for Janece, her duplex neighbor was eventually evicted.
