Plumbing problem reveals naked man in basement

A resident on East Sanson Avenue thought she had plumbing problems Thursday.

Instead, she had naked stranger problems.

Spokane Water Department workers arrived to fix the plumbing, and realized the basement door had been barricaded from the inside, Spokane police said in a news release.

When the technicians determined someone was behind the door, they called the police.

Sgt. Marc Wheelwright and Officers Joe Fausti and Dave Grenon arrived, and Fausti broke through the door, which had been barricaded with several pieces of lumber. Inside was the naked man.

Officers took 36-year-old Gary Lee George into custody, police said, and booked him on burglary charges.

No one else was in the basement, and there was no trace of clothing that might belong to George, who said he lived nearby.

Water Department employees found a broken copper pipe above the water heater and fixed it.