Police in Michigan were left baffled when they discovered a woman had been living in the sign of a grocery store for an entire year.
The startling discovery was originally made by contractors hired to work at the Family Fare grocery store in Midland; a popular store welcoming numerous unsuspecting customers every day.
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As they carried out their work, contractors discovered an extension cord on the roof of the building and traced it into the sign for the store located above the entrance.
Upon entering the sign on April 23, they found an entire makeshift home complete with flooring, a pantry of food, a little desk and even a houseplant.
Speaking of the discovery, Midland Police Department Public Relations Officer Brennon Warren said: “I’ve never seen anything like this before in my career."
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Warren revealed that the 34-year-old woman, who police nicknamed the 'Rooftop Ninja', had lived in the store for about a year.
“She made it home,” Warren said.
Police were alerted to the situation after the contractors discovered the dwelling, and told the woman she needed to find somewhere else to live.
"They were like, ‘OMG, someone is living in that sign,'" Warren said of the finding.
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Officers offered the woman housing assistance and other resources, but she chose to decline their help and she was released with no criminal charges.
It's unclear how exactly the woman managed to gain access to the sign in the first place, or how she managed to furnish it and live there for a whole year without getting caught.
The woman did not work for the supermarket, but she is said to have had a job and access to a car while living in her makeshift home.
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After the woman's story was shared online, readers responded with their thoughts on the matter and stressed that her situation was a sign of more needing to be done for those experiencing homelessness.
"I can't imagine what the winter would have been like for her. I hope she is able to secure proper housing," one sympathetic person commented.
Another expressed belief she shouldn't have been made to leave the sign, saying: "I feel like she’s earned the right to stay up there."
One Facebook user speculated the woman may have been making use of the 'entire upstairs' of the building behind the sign, saying that while her hiding place was 'clever' it was still very 'exposed'.
Emily Brown