:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Jose-Harvey-113025-6834edf92dbe4eacbadf4a0f8f022893.jpg)
NEED TO KNOW
- A man in Maine allegedly broke into an apartment, unwrapped gifts and napped on the couch before refusing to leave when the tenant woke up and found him
- The suspect, 50-year-old Jose Harvey, was arrested and charged with aggravated criminal trespass
- Police used the break-in as an opportunity to remind residents about safety and kindness heading into the holiday season
After breaking into a Maine apartment, a man unwrapped presents and caught some Z’s before refusing to get out, according to police.
Police said the apartment’s tenant woke up on Sunday, Nov. 23, to Jose Harvey of Milford sleeping on the couch, according to local Maine outlets WGME and WABI. The Bangor resident called police around 8:40 a.m. after discovering Harvey, 50, who allegedly refused to leave, per WGME.
After officers arrived at the scene, Harvey could not provide a logical explanation for why he was in the residence, per WGME and WABI.
Police also said that Christmas presents had been unwrapped close to where Harvey was found, according to the outlets.
Harvey was arrested and charged with aggravated criminal trespass, the outlets reported. He was taken to Penobscot County Jail. As of Sunday, Nov. 30, he is no longer being held there, per jail records viewed by PEOPLE.
The Bangor Police Department (BPD) did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Bangor Police Department
The tenant told authorities that the bathroom window was open, while the doors were locked, according to the outlets.
Reacting to WABI’s coverage of the alleged break-in on Facebook, BPD used the opportunity to share a safety reminder heading into the holiday season.
“It goes without saying that doing a routine check of your window and door locks is a prudent exercise in this day and age. I know, we shouldn’t have to—it makes us sad, too,” the department wrote on Nov. 25. “Surprises like this don’t put any of us in a festive mood, but even the Grinch figured out the chimney is always an option.”
“It pays to lock your doors and windows,” the BPD continued. “Oh, and make sure that gifts and packages are not left in the automobiles, even if it’s in your own dooryard. Keep them out of sight on shopping excursions as well.”
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
In a final reminder, the department urged Bangor residents to practice kindness this holiday season, writing, “Keep your hands to yourself, leave other people’s things alone, and be kind to one another.”