THOUSAND OAKS (CBSLA.com) — Crews rescued a woman Sunday who was trapped in a chimney for several hours overnight.

According to the Ventury County Fire Department, firefighters had to slowly chip away at the bricks in order to remove the woman from a chimney located in the 1900 block of Woodside Drive.

Neighbors heard the woman screaming and called officials around 6:00 a.m.

She had reportedly been trapped since 3:00 a.m.

Firefighters told CBS2’s Laurie Perez they also used liquid dish soap to make it easier to remove the woman.

Family members of the trapped woman reported that she had dated the a man who owned the residence.

Crews pulled the woman out of the chimney around 8:13 a.m.

Perez reported that the woman has been arrested.

Genoveva Nunez-Figueroa, 30, has been identified as the woman.

The homeowner’s chimney is now gone. The homeowner’s name is Lawrence and didn’t want his last name used.

Robert Fisher, a neighbor, took still photos of the woman as she was being rescued. He was one of the residents who called 911 after hearing the early-morning screams.

“We couldn’t believe it,” Fisher said.

“This woman was definitely in distress,” Fisher added. “But no one knew where the voice was coming from.”

Lawrence wasn’t home last night and confirmed to Perez that he knew the woman.

“It wasn’t Santa Claus, for sure,” Lawrence said.

“Having someone in your chimney is like kind of a weird thing you wouldn’t expect to come home to,” Lawrence said.

The stuck woman’s family says she is a good woman and have offered to pay for Lawrence’s chimney repair.

Perez asked Lawrence how he was feeling now that the ordeal seemed to be over.

“‘I’m feeling better, not so weirded out anymore that that person isn’t in my chimney anymore,” he said. “Trying to figure out what I’m going to do with my chimney since it’s in pieces but better my chimney than probably me.”

Lawrence also told Perez it wasn’t the woman’s first attempt to break into his home.

“It’s actually the second attempt for her trying to access the inside of my house,” Lawrence said, “from the roof.”

He also confirmed to Perez they met online.

“Which just goes to show you,” he said, “You have to be careful who you meet online.”

Nunez-Figueroa faces charges of illegal entry into a residence.