About a month ago, a worker was fixing the roof of a Family Fare grocery store in Midland, Michigan, when he spotted something unusual. He noticed an extension cord going into the back of the big store sign. Curious, he opened the door to check it out—and got a huge shock. Inside, a 34-year-old woman was living in the sign.
According to GlobalNews.ca, the worker immediately called the police to report the discovery. Officers arrived and spoke with the woman while recording the encounter on their body cameras. The footage was later shared with the public following a Freedom of Information Act request.
When the police looked inside the sign, they were astonished. The woman had transformed the tiny 40-square-foot space into a makeshift home. Officer Brennon Warren described her setup: “There was some flooring that was laid down. A mini desk, her clothing, a Keurig coffee maker, a printer, and a computer—things you’d have in your home.”
The officers were impressed by how clean and organized she kept the space. Locals had even given her a nickname: the “Rooftop Ninja.”
The woman told the police she had been living up there for about a year. During that time, people in town would sometimes see her walking around, but then she would disappear without a trace.
“People would see her from time to time and then all of a sudden she would vanish,” Officer Warren explained. “No one knew where she went, but no one ever thought she would be up on top of the roof.”
Because of her mysterious comings and goings, residents started calling her the Rooftop Ninja. Like many strange situations caught on camera that leave people puzzled, her secret location was finally uncovered.
The body camera footage shows the woman remaining calm when the officers first arrived. “I’m moving out of here in 24 hours to get away from all of this,” she told them right away.
The police spent some time talking with her and persuaded her to leave voluntarily. They warned her that if she returned, she could face arrest. Despite the unusual circumstances, the officers treated her kindly throughout.
Interestingly, the police never discovered how she managed to climb up to the roof every day to access her hidden home.
Officer Warren called it one of the strangest things he had seen as a police officer. “It’s a story that makes you scratch your head—just somebody living up in a sign,” he said.
The woman cooperated fully with the police, did not cause any trouble, and was neither arrested nor charged. Before she left, officers gave her information about local organizations that offer housing assistance and support.
“She apologized and continued on her way. Where she went from there, I don’t know,” Officer Warren added.
In keeping with similar cases where initial encounters reveal deeper complexities, the officers handled the situation with care and respect.
The woman left the sign the same day, but had too many belongings to take everything with her at once. Family Fare later contacted her to help retrieve the remaining items.
In a statement, Family Fare praised their employees’ response to the situation.
“We are proud of our associates for responding to this situation with the utmost compassion and professionalism,” Family Fare Supermarkets said.
They also acknowledged the ongoing difficulty many people face in finding safe and affordable housing, emphasizing that it is a widespread issue communities must address together.
https://wegotthiscovered.com/fyi/police-find-woman-living-in-a-40-square-foot-grocery-store-sign-for-a-year-her-setup-was-surprisingly-comfortable/