The flames of this potential romance had already fizzled when a California woman got trapped inside her ex-boyfriend’s chimney at his home in Thousand Oaks this week.
According to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, neighbors called police in the early morning hours Sunday after hearing a woman shouting and crying for help. Police quickly found the source of the cries, discovering 30-year-old Genoveva Nunez-Figueroa stuck inside the chimney after attempting to enter the premises illegally.
Rescue teams “carefully dismantled” the chimney brick by brick and freed the sooty Nunez-Figueroa with large quantities of dish soap—a process that took nearly two-and-a-half hours. She was then taken to a hospital and shortly afterward arrested by the Thousand Oaks Police Department for illegal entry and providing false information.
Image Source: ABC 7
The homeowner, who chose only to go by “Lawrence,” had met Nunez-Figueroa on an online dating site. They had been out several times, but it ended after Lawrence discovered his new amore on the roof of his house.
“She seemed totally cool until the first flag was actually being on my roof two weeks ago,” Lawrence said. “I hope she gets help, and I hope she stays offline.”
The damage to his home, however, also warrants attention. Lawrence told ABC his biggest problem is the bill that will come with getting his chimney and roof repaired.
Homeowners’ insurance may cover the pangs of disappointed love in this case, however. Loretta Worters of the Insurance Information Institute told
Insurance Business America there is likely coverage for this bizarre incident under the theft or vandalism portion of a homeowners’ policy.
“Trying to ‘steal his heart’ might be a criminal act if she’s unlawfully trying to enter his house,” Worters quipped. “Though, the deductible might come into play, depending on the cost to rebuild his chimney.”
Worters noted that rebuilding custom-made chimneys can actually cost around $1,000 to $4,000—significantly higher than rebuilding costs for standard chimneys—and if Lawrence has a higher deductible on his policy he may be stuck footing the bill.
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