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A central Pennsylvania homeowner who thought she was living alone was stunned to find an unwanted house guest squatting on her second floor.

Prosecutors in Bedford County say the unidentified homeowner, who is in her 80s, usually stays on her first floor because of difficulty moving around, according to NBC affiliate WJAC. But when the woman's daughter paid a visit, they were alerted to something strange.

"They heard a noise upstairs and they found this man hiding in a closet," Bedford County District Attorney Bill Higgins told the station. It turned out the man had been living there for several weeks, he added.

Police said the man, Mark Potts, was actually the boyfriend of the woman's caretaker. He moved several suitcases and other personal items into the upstairs of the home. Authorities found a small handgun on him, Higgins added.

"This guy put this woman in fear and he probably killed any future feelings of security," Higgins said, "and we are going to make sure he is held accountable for that."

Potts is facing criminal trespassing charges, and the caretaker could also face charges for aiding him, officials said.

— Erik Ortiz