Woman Gets Stuck Shimmying Naked Down Chimney Of Estranged Boyfriend's Home

WOODCREST (CBSLA.com) — A 35-year-old woman who tried to climb down the chimney of her estranged boyfriend's Woodcrest home early Saturday morning had to be rescued after getting stuck, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

Homeowner Tony Hernandez said the woman, the mother of his three children, had tried around 5 a.m. to open the door of his home in the 15800 block of Rancho Viejo Drive. When she found it locked she climbed to the roof and attempted to get in through the chimney. That's when she became wedged inside the 12-by-12-inch chimney. She had apparently removed her clothes to aid her descent.

Hernandez said he awoke to her cries for help and tried to get her out with an extension cord: "She said, 'I'm trapped in the chimney.' So I tried to get her out but it was too hard."

Firefighters came and helped free the woman after a two-hour operation that involved breaking the fireplace open.

Early Saturday afternoon, fire officials posted photos of the rescue on Twitter:

Technical Rescue this morning on Rancho Viejo Dr. in Woodcrest. Photo Credit, Engineer Jared Hazelaar. #Rancho pic.twitter.com/I8BuPVEoUK

— CAL FIRE Riverside (@CALFIRERRU) January 3, 2015

The woman, whose identity has not been released, was taken to a hospital with minor to moderate injuries.

Hernandez says the woman doesn't live with him and isn't allowed to be around their children: "I don't like the way she's acting or what she's doing. That's not good for my kids."

(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)