one Arkansas A couple is shocked when they discover that a stranger secretly lives in their basement. Found out after installing surveillance camera Investigate mysteriously missing food. The incident reported by Searcy raises questions about how long the man may have been neglected inside the occupied home.
Dutch Hoggatt and his wife, Sharon, began noticing unusual commotion around their house over a few weeks in April. Everyday items seemed to be in disarray and food supplies kept disappearing.
The unexplained pattern prompted them to install indoor cameras, which eventually captured an unidentified man walking around the house at night.
When their daughter and son-in-law arrived at the home and discovered the situation directly in the basement, the situation escalated, leading to a confrontation and police involvement.
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Lack of food and strange behavior at home
The couple first became suspicious when everyday items started disappearing or being moved around without explanation.
“I came in looking for my work shoes. I always leave them by the back door. My work shoes were missing,” Hoggart told KTHV. He added that as time went on, people noticed chairs being moved and food disappearing, deepening their concerns.
Concerned about developments, their son-in-law Mark Gregory decided to inspect the property. “We stopped at the house. I grabbed a bat and a gun just in case,” Gregory said. “We don’t know what to expect.”
During the search, Gregory said, his partner noticed “a leg sticking out from under the stairs that led to the basement.”
Suspect found in makeshift basement
Gregory entered the area and confronted the man, later identified as 41-year-old Preston Landis, who had allegedly been living in a makeshift home in the basement.
When Sharon called the police, Gregory knocked on the door with a baseball bat and demanded that the man show up. The suspect eventually fled the home, according to family members.
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Footage later showed the man walking around the house shirtless while the homeowner slept.
Despite the break-in, the family said no important valuables were lost.
“I don’t think he was trying to be a bad guy. He had a lot of opportunities to take things. It seemed like he was just trying to get out of this situation and try to survive,” Gregory said.
Their daughter Cherry added that the man had apologized, saying: “Tell your family I’m really sorry, they all seem to be very good people.”
Authorities later arrested Landis, who was charged with residential offenses theft and theft of property. He was booked by the White County Sheriff’s Office, with bail set at $15,000.
