Drunk and stuck in a chimney is not where you want be when the LAPD comes rolling around.

But that was the story for 27-year-old Cuauhtli Castillo Lujano overnight, who told cops he was jumping from roof to roof in Sylmar because “that's what people do.” Of course …

… police don't believe him.

The man had to be rescued from the chimney atop Sylmar Recreation Center with the help of L.A. firefighters, the LAPD says. Lt. Paul Vernon:


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We suspect his intent was to get into the building, probably to steal something, but we couldn't prove that.

Lujano actually called 911 last night after realizing he was stuck and needed help.

What did arriving cops do? They arrested him for allegedly trespassing at a closed public building. And they jailed him in lieu of $2,500 bail. Vernon called the suspect a would-be Santa Claus but noted “there's still 225 days until Christmas.”

Trespassing is pretty minor stuff but Vernon says Lujano is not out of the woods yet: They're going to check his fingerprints against a database of burglars and other criminals.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

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