WAUKESHA, Wis. — A Waukesha family says they were startled after reviewing security camera footage and discovering a masked person spent about an hour inside their apartment building in the middle of the night.
The incident happened at a quad apartment building on Wisteria Lane. Resident Colleen said she first learned about the situation after checking her Ring camera footage when she woke up.
“I immediately checked my ring camera and saw a video of a person,” Colleen said. “I was just like, I hit my husband. I was like, babe, wake up! I freaked out, and obviously I was like, "We have firearms in the house. I was like, "Grab your gun.'"
The footage shows a woman walking along a sidewalk before entering the apartment building and going upstairs. According to Colleen, the person remained inside the building from approximately 1:50 a.m. to 2:50 a.m. on Wednesday before leaving.
"He grabbed his firearm and we ran to the girls' room, and they were obviously safe. The person was gone, but yeah, I mean, it was just freaky," Colleen said.
Waukesha police told TMJ4 News they located the person seen in the video Wednesday afternoon. Investigators said she was a homeless woman who was attempting to find a warm place to stay overnight. Police said when officers found her, she was no longer wearing the mask and was directed to available resources.
Even with that explanation, residents say the incident remains unsettling.
“It's definitely unsettling because if you're just trying to get warm, why do you have a mask on? I know it's Halloween, but it's not yet, and you're-it's just a strange situation,” Colleen said.
Colleen said she decided to share the video with others in the neighborhood to make residents aware of what happened.
Neighbor Cassandra said the footage was alarming.
“It’s kinda creepy and horrifying,” she said. “My landlord said he is going to be changing the locks and we are going to have updated security to prevent that kind of issue."
Colleen said she believes the situation could have ended differently had the family been awake when the person was inside the building.
“I mean, if my husband's-he, like I said, he carries. So, had that happened when we were awake and we saw the ring message, like it could have been a different story,” she said.
While residents remain uneasy about the encounter, Colleen said she is relieved that no one was harmed. She added that her family will be making sure doors are locked and secured each night.
