Houston Couple Faces Startling Scene After Finding Intruder Stuck in Fireplace

A Houston couple got an early-morning shock on Easter Sunday when they believed something was wrong in their home, and discovered a man stuck inside their chimney. The incident unfolded after their dog, Ellie, started barking around 12:30 a.m., Sunday, April 5, and the couple heard unusual noises coming from the fireplace.

At first, they believed it might be a raccoon or another animal trapped inside. Instead, they found what police later described as a burglary suspect.

PEOPLE reported that Joni Mitchell said she woke up when Ellie reacted to the noise. She told local outlet KHOU 11 that she heard groaning sounds and realized they were coming from the fireplace area.

“I was like, ‘What’s going on, Ellie?’ And I did hear some noises. All of a sudden, I started hearing [groaning], and it was coming out of the fireplace,” Joni recalled.

Her husband, Curt Mitchell, also woke up and initially believed a wild animal might be stuck in the house. That changed quickly when he opened the fireplace flue and saw a man inside, who appeared unable to get out on his own.

“Maybe a raccoon or something got in. I come down and open the flue … and this guy was speaking Spanish, and he was freaking out,” Curt narrated.

Firefighters were called to the home and removed the part of the fireplace to reach the man. Curt later said the firefighters removed the front portion of the fireplace to reach the man.

The suspect told the firefighters he had been chased and climbed into the chimney to hide, according to reports.

“...he was being chased and was trying to get away from something. When they broke it in, the front fell off, and there was his face and his shoulders,” Curt told KHOU 11.

The couple said they believe the man climbed over a fence, accessed the roof, and attempted to enter through the chimney before becoming trapped.

Police identified the suspect as Edwin Leonel Salmeron Granados, 33. He was taken to a hospital with minor injuries and is expected to be charged with burglary of a habitation. Police said he climbed a fence, accessed the roof, removed the chimney cap, and attempted to enter through the chimney before becoming stuck.

According to PEOPLE, Houston police arrested him at 1:35 a.m. He was charged with burglary of a habitation, and his next court date was scheduled for April 10.

The Mitchells described the incident as frightening and difficult to believe. Joni Mitchell said she had never experienced anything like it before and called the situation “crazy.”

Curt Mitchell said he was concerned about the damage and the potential repair costs. What began as unusual noises turned into an emergency response and an unusual suspected burglary attempt.