A 67-year-old woman awoke to find an intoxicated stranger inside her home early Sunday morning in Sandy Valley Estates, according to the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said the woman heard a noise inside her residence at about 1 a.m. Dec. 21 and went to investigate, where she found a 22-year-old man standing in her kitchen. Authorities said the man appeared intoxicated and argued that he believed the home was his.
The woman escorted the man outside, but deputies said he then got into her vehicle and attempted to start it. The woman reportedly struck the man with a snow shovel during the encounter. Authorities said the man exited the vehicle and re-entered the home.
When law enforcement arrived, deputies found the doors to the residence locked and were forced to make entry. The man was located asleep in the woman’s bed, covered with her blankets, according to the report.
Deputies said the man’s boots were found near the front door, his pants were next to the bed, and he was wearing one of the woman’s hooded sweatshirts wrapped around his waist. The man told deputies he had been drinking heavily at a new restaurant in the area and could not remember how he arrived at the trailer park.
Authorities said the man thanked deputies for their service and was transported to Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital in Dover for medical clearance before being booked into the Tuscarawas County Jail.
The case will be forwarded to the Tuscarawas County Prosecutor’s Office for review and possible felony charges, deputies said.
No additional injuries were reported.
