Man calls 911 for a hug

Sydney Morning Herald

HUG AND HANDCUFFS: A homeless man in the US called emergency services for towels, hot chocolate and a hug, but was instead arrested for trespassing.

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A homeless man who called 911 from the hot tub of a suburban US home and asked for towels, hot chocolate and a hug got arrested for trespassing instead.

Beaverton police say Mark Eskelsen called 911 from his cellphone in Portland, Oregon, identified himself as "the sheriff of Washington County," and asked for medical help. He later admitted he wasn't the sheriff but informed the dispatcher he'd been "yelling for about an hour and a half."

The man said in his Sunday morning call that he'd been in the water about 10 hours and his towels had gotten wet. As he put it, "I just need a hug and a warm cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows in it."

The Oregonian newspaper says arriving officers arrested Eskelsen for investigation of second-degree criminal trespass and improper use of 911.

- AP