Woman sees stranger lounging on her patio. Then things got weird, Florida cops say

A Florida woman letting her dogs out to poop found a man lounging on the patio — and things only got stranger from there, according to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office.

It happened at 7:15 a.m. Wednesday, June 7, in Spring Hill, and deputies arrived to find the unwanted guest carrying enough heroin and meth to face drug trafficking charges, according to a news release. Spring Hill is about 50 miles north of Tampa.

“The caller/homeowner ... was preparing to let her dogs out the back door when she observed a male sitting on her back patio. The caller did not know the male, nor did she have any idea what he was doing there,” the sheriff’s office said.

“An off-duty deputy, who happened to be in the area, was the first to arrive. The deputy observed the male to be relaxing on the back patio, while charging his phone in an electrical outlet. The deputy immediately detained him.”

When questioned, the man told deputies he believed he was at his girlfriend’s house, and was waiting to be let in, officials said.

That story later changed when he said “he didn’t know where he was and did not know his girlfriend’s address,” officials said.

A search of the 34-year-old man’s belongings revealed baggies containing a powder that tested positive as heroin, a zippered case containing 22.4 grams of methamphetamine, syringes and a scale, officials said.

The man was arrested and charged with burglary of occupied dwelling, trafficking of controlled substance, possession of narcotics and possession of drug paraphernalia, officials said.

This story was originally published June 9, 2023 at 4:29 AM with the headline "Woman sees stranger lounging on her patio. Then things got weird, Florida cops say."