A California couple caught their landlord on camera entering their apartment without permission when they were out, drinking their alcohol, and allowing his dog to urinate on the carpet.
The couple said they could smell urine on the carpet and the alcohol seemed to be disappearing from the bottles.
“We lost a lot of sleep. There was a lot of anxiety and stress and it affected both of us in our relationship, at work, everything. It really did,” said Arihara, according to KTVU. He said he began to suspect his girlfriend was a closet alcoholic.
“When you’re seeing bottles go down this low, when someone’s saying, ‘Oh it’s not our dogs doing it.’ Well, I’m not the one doing it,” he said.
In desperation, the two put up security cameras around their home. When they reviewed the recordings, they were in shock. The video shows their landlord, Abel Cabral, entering their place, drinking their alcohol straight from the bottle, and rifling through their belongings.
In the footage Cabral’s dog, Bourbon can also be seen walking around the apartment.
“Frankly I think it’s kind of a perversion on the part of the landlord,” said Joe Tobener, the couple’s attorney. “Coming in and drinking the alcohol with his bare mouth isn’t necessarily about alcoholism it’s more about a perversion. Going into their bedroom, reading their things, entering their cabinets. There’s something more here than just alcoholism.”
The couple told reporters that after viewing the footage they became concerned for their safety. They reportedly notified the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Department, but the authorities did not take any action.
Cabral has reportedly admitted to KTVU reporters that he entered the apartment and drank the alcohol. In explaining his actions he said that he was going through “a bad time” in his life.
The couple also said that they have since moved out and plan to sue their former landlord.
“Civilly the landlord’s liable for wrongful eviction, trespass, constructive eviction, and breach of the covenant of quiet enjoyment,” the couple’s legal representative said.
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