Bizarre apartment intruder leaves Queens couple wondering "how did she get in?"
The NYPD is investigating a bizarre incident in Long Island City, Queens.
Residents say a woman got into their apartment by tricking the doorman of their luxury building.
Bill Kim and his girlfriend were on vacation last month when they got a notification on the app for their surveillance camera showing a complete stranger inside their apartment.
The woman can be seen on surveillance video making herself right at home, plopping down on the couch, scrolling on her phone, and lounging in a dress and heels.
"We start freaking out. We're in full panic mode," Kim said.
The woman apparently noticed the surveillance camera, and ripped it off the shelf.
The tenants called police and a friend. The friend got there first, and knocked on the door. The interaction that followed was captured on cellphone video.
"Hey, I know you don't live there, you gotta go," the friend said.
"But I have a question, I'm a patient," the intruder said.
"No, you're not. You gotta get out of there," the friend said.
The NYPD soon arrived, and CBS News New York was told the woman was taken to an area hospital for evaluation.
As far as the tenants know, the woman didn't steal anything. The NYPD is still investigating, and so far has not made any arrests.
"I'm just in shock. I'm wondering how did she get in?" Kim said.
The tenants reported it to building management, and say they got an email response stating "an individual claiming to be a [dog walker] mistakenly received a key to an apartment at the front desk," adding, "the employee involved has been terminated, and we are currently retraining all staff on ID verification protocols."
CBS News New York has also reached out to building management for a comment and has not yet heard back.
"It also feels very intentional and almost planned, because she picked our apartment, which was empty at the time. She must have specifically asked for our unit," Kim said.
The couple says their lease is up next month and they plan to move out, but even until then, they say it's hard to go on living in the apartment.
"Your home just doesn't feel the same when something like this has happened," Kim said. "Anytime I hear keys jingling in the hallway I can't help but imagine someone barging into our apartment."
