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In a surprising twist of events, a family in Arkansas uncovered an uninvited occupant residing stealthily within a closet in their own residence.
Preston Landis now faces allegations of breaking into a home and stealing property after he was found in a Searcy couple’s house on April 29. This information comes from a statement by the White County Sheriff’s Office, shared with Oxygen.
Family Notices Food, Other Items Disappearing From Home
Authorities reported that Landis’ mother had declared him missing on April 28, having last seen him that morning around 6 a.m., heading towards the property’s boundary. Despite the sheriff’s office issuing an alert for Landis and listing him as a missing person, efforts to locate him proved unsuccessful.
Simultaneously, at a nearby residence, Harding University Professor Dutch Hoggatt and his wife Sharon began noticing unsettling indications that their household was not as it seemed.
“I went to grab my work shoes, which I always leave by the back door, only to find them missing,” Hoggatt shared with KTHV. “I asked my wife if she had discarded them, and she hadn’t. Gradually, we observed chairs being moved around and some of our food disappearing.”
They mentioned the unusual clues to their adult daughter Cherisse Gregory.
“I think they thought they were both going crazy,” Cherisse told the news outlet. “And I’m like, ‘That doesn’t happen at the same time suddenly.’”
Preston Landis is Allegedly Discovered Hiding in Basement Closet
Cherisse and her husband Mark Gregory decided to search the home the night of April 29.
“I grabbed my bat and a gun just in case,” Mark told KTHV. “We didn’t know what to expect.”
After opening an interior closet in the basement of the home, Sharon spotted jeans and allegedly noticed Landis hiding in the back of the closet.
“I could see that she was freaked out, so they backed out of the room, and I went in,” Mark told KARK. “I had my baseball bat in my hand.”
According to Mark, Landis was cooperative and explained that he had been trying to stay out of the severe weather.
“In a way I kind of felt bad for him,” Mark told KARK. “I knew what he did was wrong, but he was struggling with things.”
The family called 911 around 6:55 p.m. April 29 after making the discovery.
Deputies arrived to find Landis seated outside, being guarded by one of the family members.
“Preston was taken into custody,” the sheriff’s office said, “and deputies found food and clothing items from the house in his pockets.”
Deputies also discovered “a pillow and makeshift sleeping area” inside the closet.
According to Charisse, before Landis was arrested, he told her, “Tell your folks that I’m really sorry and they seem like really nice people.”
Although the family was unnerved by the experience, Hoggatt told KTHV that they aren’t mad.
“We’re not angry at this man,” he said. “I feel sorry for the man. I’m glad we figured out there was somebody living in the house, because this could have gone on for much longer than it did.”
Preston Landis was taken to White County Detention Center, where he’s being held on a $15,000 bond, according to the sheriff’s office.
It was unclear whether he has retained an attorney.