When two men from Oregon agreed to babysit their nephew, they thought they would have fun playing and watching movies together.
But instead, they ended up at the police station, traumatized by what they had seen in the bathroom. As it turned out, they weren't home alone.
Someone Was Inside The House
The two men thought it was just them and their nephew in the house, but a stranger was already inside, waiting for the perfect moment to execute his evil plan.
The intruder was so quiet that the men didn't notice him until it was too late.
A Stranger In The Bathroom
Around lunchtime, the housesitters heard a strange sound coming from the bathroom. It sounded like a bird or a small animal.
But unbeknownst to them, a stranger had been staying there the entire time.
The Door Was Sealed Shut
When the men tried to open the bathroom door to see what was going on, they realized it was sealed shut.
It was clear that whoever was inside didn't want to be found.
They Called 911
They called the police at around 2 PM and explained that someone had broken into the house in the Cedar Hills neighborhood outside Beaverton.
The men explained to the dispatcher that they saw a man's shadow under the door. Luckily, a detective happened to be in their neighborhood, and he went to check out the house.
Backup Arrived
When the detective got there, he realized he needed backup to deal with the situation. Three deputies from the sheriff's office joined him, and together, they prepared to deal with the intruder.
They shouted to the intruder to come out, but the stranger didn't listen to them. So, the officers unleashed the police dogs, but even then, the stranger didn't move a muscle.
He Refused To Come Out
The person in the bathroom didn't want to come out and continued making strange loud sounds. What was he doing in there?
"One hundred percent, they had their guns out and the dogs out. If we tell you we're the police and you're not responding and not coming out, we don't know what we're walking into," Sergeant Danny DiPietro said in an interview.
They Were Confused
"We don't know if they're armed or if they're going to attack us." He further revealed that the officers were confused by the intruder's behavior.
"That was confusing because usually, when you say, 'We've got a dog,' people are done. They're like, 'OK, I'm not fighting a dog!' and they'll just give up," he said. But there was more happening behind the closed door than the authorities realized.
It Wasn't A Human
After about half an hour, the authorities opened the bathroom door to confront the stranger. But, as it turned out, it wasn't a burglar or even a person.
What was it?
A Roomba Robotic Vacuum Cleaner
"It was just this little round machine slamming against the glass shower wall," DiPietro said.
It was actually a Roomba robot vacuum that was being a bit too loud. “We breached the bathroom door and encountered a very thorough vacuuming job being done by a Roomba Robotic Vacuum cleaner,” Deputy Rogers wrote on Facebook.
Everyone Was Relieved
"Everyone just started cracking up. It was such a huge relief because it's the kind of situation that could go either way," DiPietro told NPR.
"No one had any idea what was waiting for them behind the door, but they definitely didn't expect that." So did the men get charged for their mistake?
They Didn't Mind
The officers also thought there was an intruder in the bathroom. So, they didn't blame them for calling 911.
"But I would have done the exact same thing if I was visiting someone and didn't know there was a robot vacuum cleaner that was set to go off on its own," said DiPietro.
An Eventful Day
The two men had no idea that the house owners had a Roomba. They must've forgotten to turn it off before leaving.
According to the officers, the housesitters did the right thing by calling 911. It's better to be safe than sorry. But, they weren't the only ones who found this situation funny.
Going Viral
The officers filmed the Roomba and uploaded the video on their Facebook page along with a fake "Most Wanted" poster.
And soon, their post went viral. One Facebook user commented: “I find it amazing that the vacuum decided to barricade himself in such a standoff. Tech is taking over!"
Roomba The Intruder
"After sweeping the premises, the perpetrator was nabbed. Later, the room was dusted for prints," another person commented.
Although the intruder was just a Roomba robot, people were glad the authorities took the call seriously.