Underneath Your Floorboards: A Real-Life Horror Story

What sounds like fiction torn from a horror screenplay unfolded as disturbing reality in Clackamas County, Oregon. Deputies responded to a neighbor's late-night call and discovered something truly unsettling – a man had transformed the crawlspace beneath a quiet condo into a fully-functioning miniature apartment, complete with string lights, a flat-screen TV, and even gaming equipment.

The culprit, 40-year-old Benjamin Bucur, had a lengthy criminal history spanning multiple states. He had not only broken into the crawlspace but had changed the locks, installed himself comfortably, and was stealing electricity from the condo above. Most disturbing of all, evidence suggested he'd been living there for an extended period, completely undetected by the homeowners just feet above him.

This phenomenon has a name: "Phrogging" – when someone secretly lives inside another person's home without their knowledge. While it sounds like urban legend material, documented cases emerge regularly worldwide. From Hawaii to Japan, people have discovered strangers living in their attics, storage spaces, and crawlspaces for months or even years. These violations of personal space raise profound questions about home security and the vulnerable areas we rarely think to check.

As a homeowner, protecting these hidden spaces requires vigilance. Regular inspections of crawlspaces, attics, and basements should be part of your maintenance routine. Watch for signs of tampering, unusual sounds, or unexplained utility usage. Smart home security systems with motion detection can provide an extra layer of protection. Most importantly, trust your instincts – that strange feeling something's amiss might be your subconscious picking up on subtle clues an intruder has entered your personal space.

Chapters

• 0:08 The Oregon Crawlspace Discovery
• 1:30 Benjamin Bucur's Criminal History
• 4:16 The Phenomenon of Phrogging
• 7:26 Home Security Lessons
• 9:22 Call To Action and Closing

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:08

Hey everybody, michael Church here with Crawl Space Ninja. Today I want to tell you a story that sounds like it was ripped straight out of a horror movie, but it's 100% real. On September 3rd 2025 in Clackamas County, oregon, deputies made a discovery beneath a quiet condo community that left neighbors shocked, homeowners unsettled and the rest of us asking how well do you really know what's going on underneath your home home? It was late, around 11 pm when deputies responded to a call. Near Happy Valley, oregon, a neighbor had seen a man park his car, walk toward the back of the building and slip out of sight Moments later, the crawlspace door to one of the condos was shut tight. When officers arrived, they found the crawlspace locked from the inside. The door had been damaged and running out of a vent was an extension cord humming with stolen power from the home above.

Speaker 1: 1:18

This wasn't just a break-in. This was something much stranger. When deputies forced the door open, what they found was not the usual dark, damp, forgotten space beneath a house. No, this crawlspace had been turned into a miniature apartment. There were string lights hanging from the joists, a flat-screen TV bolted to the beam, a chair, a bed, a jug of water, even a gaming controller. It was either a PlayStation or an Xbox controller. There in the crawl space it looked lived in and even comfortable, if your definition of comfortable includes cobwebs and concrete dust. Definition of comfortable includes cobwebs and concrete dust. Authority said it was clear the man had authority. Said it was clear the man had been down there for an extended period of time long enough to settle in, long enough to go unnoticed. Go unnoticed.

Speaker 1: 2:31

The man was identified as 40-year-old Benjamin Booker from Forest Grove, Oregon, with a long criminal history stretching back to California. When deputies confronted him, booker did not resist violently no dramatic shootout, no chase through the woods. Instead, he was pulled from the shadows, quietly arrested and booked on charges of first-degree burglary. On charges of first-degree burglary I can't even say that word On charges of first-degree burglary and unlawful possession of methamphetamine after officers found a pipe with white residue among his belongings. I'm surprised the homeowners didn't smell that. A judge set his bail at $75,000 the very next day.

Speaker 1: 3:24

But Booker's story didn't start in that crawlspace. Back in 2010, he was convicted in California on burglary and auto theft charges, stealing laptops, jewelries, even a PlayStation, which apparently he still has today, and served two years in prison. By 2018, today, and served two years in prison. By 2018, he was in Oregon facing burglary again Wow, I'm shocked. In 2019, theft and resisting arrest. In 2022, assault and harassment.

Speaker 1: 3:59

His record paints the picture of a man tangled in crime, unable or unwilling to break free, and apparently a justice system unwilling to deal with it. Was it drugs? Was it desperation? Or was it something deeper? The court records don't say. Apparently, reporters have not confirmed whether he battled mental illness or personal demons beyond the criminal justice system. But what we do know is this Booker didn't just pass through people's lives. He crept into their hidden spaces, the crawl spaces, the unseen corners of homes.

Speaker 1: 4:45

There's a name for this phenomenon. It's called frogging. Have you ever heard of that Frogging? When someone secretly lives inside another person's home without them knowing. It sounds rare, almost urban legend-like, but cases surface every year. In 2023, for instance, a Honolulu woman discovered a stranger living in her attic. She only realized it after food began disappearing and noises echoed through the ceiling at night. But other stories end even worse, unfortunately, in 2008, in Fukuoka, japan, a man discovered a woman who had been secretly living in his storage space for nearly a year. She would slip out while he was at work, eat his food, then crawl back into hiding. He only caught her after installing cameras, and sometimes tragically, frogging cases lead to violence.

Speaker 1: 5:51

In South Carolina in 2019, a homeowner confronted a man hiding in his attic. The encounter turned into a physical fight before police intervened. These incidents prove one chilling fact not even frogging goes quietly. These incidents prove one chilling fact not every frogger goes quietly. In the Oregon case, no children were reported in the condo. No one was hurt physically.

Speaker 1: 6:28

But think about the emotional impact for a moment. Imagine living in your home, hearing strange noises at night, brushing it off as the house settling, only to learn there's a stranger living underneath your floorboards. The crawlspace door was damaged, electricity had been siphoned off, privacy was shattered and that uneasy feeling that maybe you aren't as alone as you thought lingers long after the intruder is gone. He uh. From what I understand, he had his own key. Like the, the homeowner couldn't even get in his own crawl space. The uh the frogger, if you will had uh changed the locks.

Speaker 1: 7:20

As unsettling as this story is, there are lessons every homeowner can take away. Inspect hidden areas regularly. Crawl spaces, attics, basements. Don't let them go unchecked for months at a time. Look for signs of tampering If you take a bite of your hamburger and you come back from the bathroom and there's another bite, there might be a frogger in your house, an extension cord out of place, a door that doesn't quite lock, unusual noises. Use smart home security Cameras, motion sensors, even alarms on crawlspace doors can alert you to unauthorized entries. Trust your instincts If something feels off like missing items or strange sounds, don't ignore it. Had these steps been taken earlier, booker's hideout might have been discovered before it became his underground apartment.

Speaker 1: 8:24

Benjamin Booker's crawlspace hideout isn't just a weird news story. It's a reminder. Our homes are supposed to be safe havens, but the forgotten spaces the crawlspaces, attics, basements can become blind spots. Blind spots that criminals, squatters and even people in desperate situations sometimes exploit. While Booker's arrest ended without bloodshed, not every case of frogging ends so peacefully, and the real horror isn't just finding someone down there. It's realizing how long they were down there Undetected, watching your every move, listening and living in your shadow.

Speaker 1: 9:12

So what do you think? Was this guy just looking for a place to stay, or was something darker going on beneath that condo in Oregon? Either way, don't take your crawl space or attic for granted. If you'd like a professional inspection from Crawl Space Ninja. My team is here to help. Visit CrawlSpaceNinjacom or call us today for a free inspection, and if you found this story eye-opening, make sure you just subscribe to our channel. We're on a mission to hit 100,000 subscribers and every one of you helps us do that. I'm Michael Church with Crawl Space Ninja. And remember, don't let your home's hidden spaces go unnoticed, because you never know who or what might be living down there. I hope you make it a happy and blessed day and we'll see you later.