Current:Home > BackWoman was living behind store's rooftop sign for a year with desk, flooring, houseplant-LoTradeCoin
Woman was living behind store's rooftop sign for a year with desk, flooring, houseplant
View Date:2024-12-23 16:17:55
A 34-year-old woman was found living in a Michigan supermarket's rooftop sign, and inside her compact space where she lived for roughly a year was a mini desk, flooring, clothing, a pantry of food, a printer and a houseplant, police said.
Contractors working on the roof of a Family Fare Supermarket in Midland discovered the woman on April 23 inhabiting the sign, Brennon Warren, spokesperson for the Midland Police Department, told USA TODAY.
"(The contractors) had seen an extension cord leading from one of the rooftop units to this particular sign where she had been living," according to Warren.
The Family Fare sign the woman was living in "isn't a normal sign" and not like ones seen "on the side of Target or Walmart," Warren said. There's a 10 to 15-foot hollow peak at the top of the supermarket's roof where the sign is placed inside, and a 3 by 4-foot access door behind the sign, according to the officer.
"Definitely big enough to kind of get into," Warren said.
How did Midland police get the woman to leave the sign?
Once the contractors found the woman, they alerted the supermarket's management who called Midland police, according to Warren. When officers went up on the roof to speak to the woman, "she came right to the door and basically said, 'Don't worry, I'm leaving,'" the spokesperson said.
Officers did not formally charge the woman, but she was trespassed from the property, Warren said. The woman "fully understood and she agreed not to go back," he added.
Midland police also provided the woman with some information on available services in the area to help with her housing issue, but she "didn't wish for any of those," according to Warren.
'We are proud of our associates'
The woman vacated the supermarket's sign that same day, but she had to leave some of her property behind because "she couldn't take all of it with her," according to the spokesperson. The store connected with the woman and is helping her move her remaining belongings, Warren said.
"We are proud of our associates for responding to this situation with the utmost compassion and professionalism," the Family Fare Supermarkets chain said in an emailed statement to USA TODAY. "Ensuring there is ample safe, affordable housing continues to be a widespread issue nationwide that our community needs to partner in solving."
Woman dubbed the "Rooftop Ninja'
The public dubbed the woman the "Rooftop Ninja" due to her living in the sign and evading detection for about a year, Warren said.
"People would see her from time to time and then all of a sudden she would vanish," according to the spokesperson. "No one really knew where she went but no one ever indicated or thought that she would be up on top of the roof."
Police do not know how the woman got up on the roof so often, and she did not tell them how, Warren said.
"In my 10-year career here in Midland I have never seen a situation like this before," according to the spokesperson "You never would think this would happen, but I wish the best for her."
veryGood! (57)
Related
- Minnesota man is free after 16 years in prison for murder that prosecutors say he didn’t commit
- Korean War veteran from Minnesota will finally get his Purple Heart medal, 73 years late
- Delta Burke recalls using crystal meth for weight loss while filming 'Filthy Rich'
- Happy birthday, Prince Louis! Prince William, Princess Kate celebrate with adorable photo
- Beyoncé nominated for album of the year at Grammys — again. Will she finally win?
- Watch Florida man vs. gator: Man wrangles 8-foot alligator with bare hands on busy street
- Maine governor vetoes bill to create a minimum wage for agricultural workers
- FTC sues to block $8.5 billion merger of Coach and Michael Kors owners
- Wicked's Ethan Slater Shares How Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo Set the Tone on Set
- Montana minor league baseball team in dispute with National Park Service over arrowhead logo
Ranking
- Darren Criss on why playing a robot in 'Maybe Happy Ending' makes him want to cry
- NFL draft has been on tour for a decade and the next stop is Detroit, giving it a shot in spotlight
- Kim Kardashian Reveals Her Polarizing Nipple Bra Was Molded After Her Own Breasts
- Slumping sluggers, ailing pitchers combining for some April anxiety in fantasy baseball
- Kendall Jenner Is Back to Being a Brunette After Ditching Blonde Hair
- The Bachelor's Hannah Ann Sluss Shares Hacks For Living Your Best, Most Organized Life
- 'Is this real?': After unique football path, Qwan'tez Stiggers on verge of NFL draft dream
- Ex-Washington police officer is on the run after killing ex-wife and girlfriend, officials say
Recommendation
-
'I heard it and felt it': Chemical facility explosion leaves 11 hospitalized in Louisville
-
Kellie Pickler Returns to Stage for First Performance Since Husband Kyle Jacobs' Death
-
Israel lashes out as U.S. expected to cut aid to IDF battalion over alleged human rights violations
-
Baltimore port to open deeper channel, enabling some ships to pass after bridge collapse
-
Trump on Day 1: Begin deportation push, pardon Jan. 6 rioters and make his criminal cases vanish
-
What is TGL? Tiger Woods' virtual golf league set to debut in January 2025
-
Pro-Palestinian protests leave American college campuses on edge
-
The Best Fanny Packs & Belt Bags for Every Occasion