Stranger leaves 'thank you' note after Dunwoody apartment break-in

Image 1 of 11

In a bizarre break-in, a Dunwoody resident said a stranger entered his home earlier this month and then thanked him for his unapproved hospitality.

“I definitely was creeped out and a little scared,” said Alex, who did not want to appear on camera or reveal his last name. 

Alex knew something was wrong when he discovered his front door unlocked and his back sliding door opened, after returning from a weekend out of town. While nothing appeared to be missing, there was something left. 

“There was a note on the bar indicating that someone had been in there,” Alex said.

It read: “Hello and thank you to whoever lives in this apartment. Please contact me so I can thank you in person. Sincerely, Joseph.” The culprit also included a phone number.

A police report, obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta, showed the responding officer tried calling the number on the note and the phone just rang non-stop.

But here's where this odd story takes an unexpected turn. Alex also tried calling the culprit and got an answer.

“We talked on the phone, and he seemed like he was happy to talk to me and explained what happened,” he told FOX 5 News.

Dunwoody Police believe the culprit stumbled into the wrong apartment in a drunken stupor – something the author of the note admitted to Alex and FOX 5 News over the phone.

Joseph said he was visiting a friend but wasn't positive which apartment was the appropriate one. “I had gone in," Joseph said. "They had the same color couch. I fell asleep on the couch. It wasn't until the next morning that I had woken up and realized I fell asleep in the wrong apartment."

Alex believes it was truly an accident and no longer wants to press charges.

“He didn't steal anything or anything like that, so I just figured I’d just let it go,” Alex said.

Dunwoody Police shared tips with Alex on preventing future break-ins when out of town – chief among them – always double check that your doors are locked.