I Creeped Out a Homeless Woman

One time, I (a guy at the time, 19 years old) was ready for a walk in the park and sat at the dining room table to put on my hiking boots. All of a sudden, I hear a very loud noise coming from the kitchen. I turn to see a homeless woman holding a broken knife above her head. The knife had been on the counter and ready for use; now, it was bent and broken. It was probably very dull, but still dangerous-looking nonetheless.<br><br>I don't know where she came from. She was a squatter that lived in the crawl space behind our apartment. She would randomly pop into people's apartments unannounced. She was a very creepy person.<br><br>When I saw her, I started screaming at the top of my lungs and I ran out of the apartment as fast as I could. I had to protect myself, and the best way to do that was to get help. I thought that she was going to hurt me. I ran to the leasing office and told them what happened. They called the police and an ambulance. I found out later that she had a history of mental health issues and was prone to having psychotic episodes.<br><br>The police showed up and she was involuntarily committed to a mental institution. Later on, one of the officers told me that she asked multiple times if the guy that screamed was okay. The police told her that I wasn't okay and that she really traumatized me. She started crying when she heard that.<br><br>I was very traumatized. I had nightmares for a few nights afterward. The experience made me very uncomfortable in my own home. The whole thing was just so unexpected and out of the ordinary. I didn't sleep in the apartment for a week.<br><br>I don't wish bad things on people, but I hope that she is okay and that she never does that again to anybody else.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>Edit:<br><br>She didn't "deserve" to get locked up and treated poorly. I don't know what "treated poorly" even means. Does it mean she got food that was too salty? The only thing I want is for her to get help. Obviously, what she did is not normal behavior. That's why she needs help. I hope that she gets the help that she needs and that this doesn't happen again. I'm not mad at her and I want her to be happy. I hope that she is okay.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>Edit 2:<br><br>She was evicted and banned from the property. My roommates and I made sure of that. We pressed charges for breaking and entering, destruction of property, and reckless endangerment. The police dropped the charges because she was mentally ill. Then, we went to the landlord and complained. We even threatened to move out if she wasn't evicted and banned from the property. <br><br>Honestly, I'm pretty sure she didn't live in the crawl space. That's just what we called her because it rhymed with her name. She actually lived across the street, and she would randomly walk into people's apartments unannounced. It was a very creepy thing.