Recently, a man was caught on video repeatedly intruding into a young woman’s apartment and touching her belongings while she wasn’t home.
This photo is for illustrative purposes only. | Unsplash
On October 23, Yonhap News reported that the police initiated an investigation on a man on charges of home invasion and theft after receiving a report from a 22-year-old college student.
During the investigation, the police found CCTV footage of the man invading the student’s apartment. They reportedly analyzed the footage and obtained multiple search warrants to analyze the invader’s movements, card transactions, and other details to ascertain his identity.
This photo is for illustrative purposes only. | Unsplash
The man, a company employee, was found to have trespassed into the college student’s residence, stealing beverages and lip balm on three occasions from last month to early this month. The two individuals were confirmed to have no known relationship.
Regarding the circumstances of the crime, Yonhap News reported the shocking sight of the man strategically entering the home.
The video footage obtained through a CCTV management company near the house was shocking. A masked man used the air conditioner’s outdoor unit adjacent to the woman’s studio apartment as a stepping stone, approached the window, opened it, and entered the house. The man checked for the presence of CCTV cameras, confirmed there were no people around, invaded the house, and later exited through her front door. The camera also captured the man urinating in front of her window.
— Yonhap News
Your browser does not support video.CCTV footage of the man entering the student’s home | Yonhap News
The college student reported the incident to the police and moved to a new resident. However, she is still said to be anxious. She stated that her drinks and lip balm disappeared from her home when no one was present, and the washing machine she had left running was found to be turned off midway.
Additionally, someone seemed to have accessed her computer at home, and notifications that she logged into her messaging app on her computer appeared on her smartphone.
This photo is for illustrative purposes only. | Unsplash
She commented to Yonhap News explaining how she felt seeing the CCTV of the man intruding into her house. She was shocked to see her toilet seat cover up, when she never lifts it up unless it’s to clean the bathroom.
I was shocked to see a stranger squeezing his body through my studio apartment window and entering. The toilet seat cover was up… I hadn’t done that. It gave me chills.
— The victim
She added that when she checked when the man invaded her house, she realized it was perfectly timed, raising suspicions that he was watching her every move.
When I checked the invasion time, it was only 1 to 2 minutes after I left my home. It’s really difficult to think that someone might have been watching me continuously.
— The victim
Your browser does not support video.CCTV footage of the man leaving the student’s home | Yonhap News
The police have apprehended the man, and they plan to apply for an arrest warrant after investigating his motives for the crime, stalking of the college student, and any additional incidents of intrusion. A police official involved in the investigation stated that they plan to strengthen patrols in the nearby area and pay attention to victim protection measures, such as providing smartwatches.
The toilet seat cover was up… I hadn’t done that.”