Woman discovers armed man living in her guest bedroom
Mark Potts exhibited a lot of desirable roommate qualities: He was quiet. He didn’t leave a mess. He gave the homeowner her space. The only problem? He wasn’t supposed to be there.
“They found this man hiding in a closet he had been living there for several weeks,” said Bedford County District Attorney D.A. Higgins. Higgins added that Potts was armed with a handgun when he was found: “When police searched the upstairs room, they found several suitcases, a duffel bag and other personal items belonging to Potts. He was taking up residence there. He didn’t bring in new furniture but he was living there.”
As to how Potts was able to go so long without being detected, Higgins told WJAC the unnamed 89-year-old homeowner has limited mobility and usually stays on the first floor. She also requires help from a daytime caretaker — who introduced her boyfriend, the future trespasser, a few months ago. It wasn’t until the homeowner’s daughter paid a recent visit that they decided to investigate a noise coming from upstairs.
Potts, 49, was arrested on May 11 on criminal trespassing charges. He waived his preliminary hearing and remained in jail as of May 21 with a $20,000 bail. Even though it looks like he will be locked away for a while, the district attorney said the incident has shaken the homeowner’s sense of safety.
“This guy put this woman in fear and he probably killed any future feelings of security and we are going to make sure he is held accountable for that,” he said.
The caretaker is also under investigation for possibly aiding her boyfriend.
