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A homeless man has gone from the proverbial penthouse to the big house after he was found sleeping in the presidential suite at one of Pittsburgh's swankiest hotels.
According to police, 48-year-old Jeffery Lennon Watson told them he's from Los Angeles but has been staying wherever he can find a comfortable spot in Pittsburgh for about the last month.
The 16th-floor suite at the Omni William Penn Hotel, which costs $2,500 per night, certainly qualifies. It features a 1,300-square-foot parlor plus three bedrooms, and includes crystal chandeliers, a dining room, grand piano, a full kitchenette, wet bar and sitting room, according to the hotel's website. The website doesn't make clear how much the room costs.
Authorities said hotel security officers found Watson asleep when some guests were trying to check into the suite about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Police spokeswoman Diane Richard said police don't know how long Watson had been in the suite.
Hotel general manager Eric DeStefano issued a short statement explaining what occurred.
The parlor area of the presidential suite is "a general-use area for receptions and small events. The door had been programmed to remain unlocked for an event earlier that day. As soon as the occupant was discovered, he was escorted off the property," DeStefano said.
DeStefano considered Tuesday night’s incident “an isolated event.”
Police took Watson to the Allegheny County Jail, where he remained Wednesday unable to post $15,000 bond. He faces a preliminary hearing Nov. 19 on charges of criminal trespass and theft of services.
