We found this article on the Jacksonville, Florida NBC Affiliate, WTLV Channel 12 First Coast News. One of those human sideshow mini-spectaculars that if it wasn’t true no one would believe you if you made it up.
Stalker Hides Under Woman’s Bed for Two Days
Reported by Jane Watrel, NBC
WASHINGTON D.C. — A stalker hid under a woman’s bed for two days — just for the chance to be alone with her. How he got the keys to her house is the scariest part, and it’s a serious reminder of the need to be cautious before handing over your keys.
The disturbing video shows the convicted stalker carefully hiding his video camera on a desk in the victim’s bedroom. When he hears the woman and her boyfriend come in the apartment, he disappears under her bed. Carlo Castellanos-Feria remained there for two days until he was discovered by the victim’s boyfriend.
“In a lot of ways, [it’s the] stuff of an urban nightmare,” said Ken Wainstein, U.S. Attorney.
The nightmare started at Holy Cross Hospital where the victim met her stalker who was working as a parking valet. In court, the victim told the judge that the discovery of the valet in her bedroom was in her words — a horrible experience.
“Her life is dramatically changed. She is fearful when she hears strange noises she doesn’t know where they are coming from. Her husband, who was her boyfriend at the time of the incident, now has to be careful not to approach her from behind because it just startles her,” said Keri Barta, prosecutor.
Moments before he was sentenced, Castellanos-Feria apologized:
“I fell madly in love and that blinded my judgment. I beg your forgiveness.”
Judge Herbert Dixon handed down a three-year sentence, including treatment for mental illness and sex crimes. Court documents show the Hyattsville man had a change of clothes, condoms, a power cord and latex gloves with him under victims bed at the time of his arrest. He was a parking valet with an unnerving obsession.
“He got access to her keys. He then took that opportunity to get those keys copied. That’s something we should all think about next time we leave our keys somewhere,” said Ken Wainstein, U.S. attorney.
When investigators searched Carlo Castellanos-Feria’s home, they found vacation photos of his victim and a wedding video. Investigators later determined the items were stolen from her ex-husband’s home.
To call this story bizzarre is an understatement. However, it is living proof that these kind of incidents actually do take place in our less than perfect world and we should always be doing our best to protecct ourselves against them. Perhaps at the end of the day nothing says there is no better reason to perform a preemployment background check than a crazy story like this.
On one hand it is pretty funny, although I’m sure it was anything but to the poor woman who unwittingly hosted this man underneath her bed for a couple of days. There are certain questions about his personal maintenance under her bed, but propriety forbids that we ask.
Think insead of the liability factors that may well befall Holy Cross Hospital, the possible claims against that institution, and the obvious embarrassment. The former valet was convicted of criminal transgressions and now the civil litigation against Holy Cross is almost sure to come. Perhaps in its defense, the hospital can claim they ran a background check on Carlos Castellenos-Feria and there were no criminal records or reports indicating deviant behavior. Perhaps the hospital failed to run a background check and that’s where they become much more vulnerable to the liability issues. In any event, the whole affair is damaging to the image of what is otherwise a reputable hospital.
It is always wise to protect yourself. A few bucks up front for an employee screening can save you millions in the back end. So use this story as a lesson in human resources. Check them out before you hire.
