A Sydney Uni student has opened up about a shocking experience after she came back from holiday earlier this year, where she opened her front door to find a half-naked man had made himself real comfortable in her apartment. We’re talking rummaging through her stuff, setting up her computer to *reads notes* listen to music , and even using her partner’s bank card. I’m SAT.
Speaking to 7News on Friday, Denoora Lyu, 22, explained she initially thought she’d walked into the wrong apartment on February 18 when she and her boyfriend William Qu came home to a strange man inside.
His belongings were strewn all over place, including the sofa, desk, and kitchen counter.
According to Lyu, when he noticed them come in, he didn’t even seem surprised or try to run.
“I felt really shaken. There was a complete stranger standing in my home, and he wasn’t even wearing a shirt. It just didn’t seem normal,” she told the publication.
“I kept thinking, what if he had a knife? I was scared of what he might do.”
When confronted, there wasn’t a scuffle with the stranger, who has since been identified as 30-year-old Dylan Yelkovan. Instead, the couple watched in disbelief as he got dressed, walking in and out of the rooms like he owned the place, and packed his things into a backpack.
According to Lyu, he walked to the balcony and left the premises, which she suspects is the way he originally found his way in.
“I’ve seen stories about break-ins like this before, but when it actually happens to you, it’s still really shocking,” she said.
With the help of the building manager, Yelkovan was eventually arrested, and taken into custody.
As Lyu and Qu came to terms with the concerning turn of events and looked around the Pyrmont apartment they were temporarily subletting from a friend, they got to see the real extent of the absolute mess left behind.
Not only had Yelkovan gone through all their stuff in boxes — which they’d packed away ahead of a house-hunt in the new semester — but he’d helped himself to almost everything.
“He unpacked every single box and used everything inside, including the desktop computer, which hadn’t even been set up at the time,” Lyu said. She pointed out the browsing history indicated he’d used the computer to listen to music.
He’d also pulled out all the spare phones that weren’t in use, but “couldn’t access them due to passwords”, she said.
As if that wasn’t enough, the couple found Yelkovan had worn Qu’s clothes, some of which were stained with faeces. The toilet was also left unflushed.
They found their wine decanter had been repurposed into a flower vase, with a flower inside that he appeared to have picked from the street.
Yelkovan even used Qu’s bank card, and transaction records suggested he’d been crashing in the apartment for about a week. (Thankfully, the bank refunded the stolen money.)
Unfortunately, the couple still had to throw out almost everything Yelkovan used. Plus, they had to cough up nearly $2,000(!!!) on a hotel for a week while the apartment was professionally cleaned.
But the terrifying encounter didn’t seem to end there. Speaking to 7News, Lyu described her unease when she spotted Yelkovan in Sydney’s CBD just earlier this month, having expected him to be in custody.
In a statement to PEDESTRIAN.TV, NSW Police confirmed the 30-year-old was arrested back in February and taken to St Vincent’s Hospital for assessment.
He was then released into police custody and charged with five offenses: one count of break and enter with intent to commit serious indictable offence, and four counts of dishonestly obtain financial advantage etc by deception.
He remained in custody until his court hearing at the Sydney Downing Centre on April 1.
Court records show Yelkovan pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment, per 7News. This is to be served as an Intensive Correction Order (ICO) for the break-in, running until December 31.
It means that, while he avoided jail, he’s subject to strict supervision, including abstaining from drugs and restrictions on visiting some locations (like the Pyrmont apartment).
The publication reported he also faced separate charges on the day of his hearing, including driving without consent, reckless driving, breaching a domestic violence restraining order, and multiple counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception.
He pleaded guilty to these charges as well. The related ICO runs until March 31 next year, under similar conditions of supervision and good behaviour.
As if my travel anxiety wasn’t bad enough, this whole incident is pretty much a new fear unlocked.
Lead image: 7News
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