Poppy Bilderbeck
A mom has spoken out in warning after going through an experience at an Airbnb which gave her 'chills'.
On 11 April, Laura Schilling and her mom, alongside Schilling's teenage daughter and three of her friends, went on a trip to an Airbnb in Lexington, Kentucky.
However, their weekend away took a dark turn.
Schilling took to Facebook to recount her experience, noting you 'never imagine it will be you'.
In the post, she explained from the very moment the group pulled up to the Airbnb on Thursday night, she thought something was wrong because the front door was 'wide open'.
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"And the glass storm door was closed. It was very uncomfortable walking up to a home with the front door wide open at night," Schilling continues.
"I went in knowing that it was the right home based on pictures, but was very leery that there could be someone in the house."
Schilling noted she immediately 'thoroughly checked' all the doors, closets and under the beds to make sure no one was in the property before letting her daughter and the three other girls with them come in, before checking every window in the home too to make sure they were 'closed and locked'.
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However, the group's uneasiness only intensified the next day.
Schilling continued: "The home had a deadbolt on the front door and one of those hotel style latches that help keep the door locked in place.
"The next day we left and returned to find that someone had been in the home. We knew someone had been in because the deadbolt was unlocked and the hotel style latch was now open.
"Our only point of entry or exit had been the garage door."
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Presuming the Airbnb owner had popped in for some reason, the mom explained the group 'didn't think much of it' and said they just wanted to 'think the best of people'.
Alas, after going for dinner and returning back home to get ready for bed at around 11:30, one of the girls came and told Schilling her window 'was open'.
Schilling and her mom checked the whole house and found the windows in all the bedrooms and the kitchen had similarly been 'unlocked and cracked open'
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And when she returned to the original open window, Schilling found the screens had also been removed and when she opened it fully, she saw a car with tinted windows sat across the street 'immediately start' and take off.
Schilling and her mom quickly called 911 and a deputy came to the property, insisting they 'leave' voicing concern the group was 'in danger' and the people in the tinted windowed car 'would indeed be back,' also helping find the group a hotel to stay in.
But what was the deputy so alarmed by?
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Well, Schilling continued: "Deputy felt strongly that we had been set up for someone to take the girls that night after we had gone to bed.
"Things could have been quite different for us. We could’ve woken up the next morning, and I don’t even want to think about what life would have looked like.
"I told the girls that they should always trust their instincts when they feel that something is wrong. If they had not noticed that cracked window… If they had thought it’s no big deal and just went to bed… But they didn’t.
"And I am so grateful that God gave them the wisdom and that God gave us the wisdom to call the police and get help."
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Schilling added she contacted the host and made them aware of the incident, alongside getting in touch with Airbnb.
A spokesperson for Airbnb told UNILAD: "We take reports of concerns seriously and our team has been in contact with the guest to provide a full refund and further support. In the rare event of a safety concern during a stay, our 24-hour Safety Line is available for guests to reach our specialized Safety team for help."
A spokesperson for Lexington Police Department told UNILAD: "On Saturday, April 14, 2024, at 11:38 p.m., officers were dispatched to a residence in the 100 block of Masterson Station Drive for suspicious activity. When officers arrived, they learned that the guests had arrived back at the residence and noticed a door unlocked and a window opened. Nothing was reported missing and officers could not determine if someone had unlawfully entered the residence. Officers told the guests that if they felt unsafe, they should go to a hotel. The officers then stayed in the area until the guests left.
"At this time, there is no indication that the incident is related to human trafficking and the investigation is ongoing to determine if any criminal activity occurred. If anyone has information, they are asked to call the Lexington Police Department at (859) 258-3600."