Man finds stranger hiding in his trunk after car wash

MONTCLAIR, Calif. (KABC) -- A man went to a car wash in Pomona and came home with an extra passenger - a stranger hiding in the trunk.

Sal Landeros had returned to his Montclair home after going to Tuzos car wash, when he heard a knocking from his trunk.

"He hit his trunk and he heard someone tap again back. He was like, 'Okay, there's someone definitely in my car,'" Landeros' brother Eddie said.

Sal Landeros and his son Chris carefully opened the trunk, unsure of who or what was inside.

"I said, 'Open it slowly.' (My son) saw the eyes and slammed it back again. I said, 'Forget it. Just call the cops,'" Sal Landeros said. "Real scary."

Montclair police surrounded the car with tasers and guns drawn. Eddie Landeros captured video of the ordeal.

The man appeared to climb out, happy to be free from the trunk, only to be handcuffed and taken into custody.

"He was saying sorry a lot and he was running away from someone that needed his money, because he didn't pay up or something. I guess he worked at the car wash too. He must have got in while they were washing it. He just closed the trunk on himself," Eddie Landeros said.

The family can laugh about the bizarre encounter now, but they say it was frightening as it was unfolding.

"Something you don't expect. Even the police officers said, 'This is a new one for us. We've never seen this one,'" Sal Landeros said.