Atwater woman returns home to find stranger asleep in her bed

An Atwater woman returned to her home on Christmas to find someone sleeping in her bed, and it wasn’t Goldilocks or Santa Claus.

The woman told Atwater police that an unknown man was found sleeping in her apartment at 2619 Atwater Blvd.

“The subject awoke when (she) arrived home, apologized and then went back to sleep,” police said in a statement.

Police were called to the residence and contacted Francisco Garcia as he was heading out the front door of the woman’s apartment, the statement said.

Garcia, 29, was taken into custody Sunday evening and booked on suspicion of trespassing.

According to Merced County records, the Winton man has a record of felony vandalism and misdemeanor counts of public intoxication and resisting, delaying or obstructing a public officer.

He was cited and released Monday without posting bond, according to the Merced County sheriff’s records.

This story was originally published December 26, 2016 at 5:16 PM with the headline "Atwater woman returns home to find stranger asleep in her bed."