Naked, Rambling Man Arrested For Burglary After Being Stuck In Chimney

LADERA HEIGHTS (CBSLA)  -- The man was rambling and naked and screaming that people were trying to kill him.

But that wasn't the end of the man's 99 problems -- at least.

The naked man was also arrested on burglary charges. Police said he tried to steal items from another Ladera Heights home before he fled and then tried to hide out in a neighbor's chimney -- before getting stuck.

"They had me running around buck naked," the man screamed as he was taken into custody.

"They asked if anybody had a towel. Somebody tossed a white towel onto the roof," said witness Leslie Scraifer.

CBS2/KCAL9's Greg Mills spoke to shocked neighbors about their naked visitor.

Once they had a towel, police and fire pulled the man out and wrapped him in it.

"Oh my God. I was shocked I couldn't believe it," said Shraifer.

She and boyfriend Ace Antonio-Hall were headed to church when they said they heard choppers overhead.

"I heard the helicopters that had been going around and I believe I heard the helicopters on the loudspeakers say 'everyone stay indoors,'" says Antonio-Hall.

Culver City police told Mills the incident started a block away on Canterbury Street.

A woman discovered a naked man in her apartment. The woman's husband confronted and they got into a fight.

"I would never fight somebody buck naked," the suspect screamed at onlookers.

The suspect ran off, naked, through various backyards across Wooster Avenue. As police searched for him, he chose the chimney to hide in.

"Maybe for about an hour they were searching. Dogs. They came in the back yard with their dogs searching," says Antonio-Hall.

Officials eventually called off the search but the suspect only then began to make his presence known.

"I was just taking [my dog] for a walk, I was walking by the house and hear this "help me, they're trying to kill me," says witness Alan Nelson.

He called 911 as did other neighbors.

"He's screaming "help,get me out I'm stuck'" says Antonio-Hall.

"He'd been drinking, [the suspect said] his drink was laced with something. Is there a superhero out there?" Shraifer said the suspect yelled.

Firefighters and sheriff's deputies worked on getting the naked suspect freed. But he refused to go quietly.

"Don't kill me. Y'all don't let these folks kill me man," he yelled as he was led off in handcuffs. And the borrowed towel.