A young Montreal woman says she had the shock of her life on Thursday when she returned to her Chinatown-area home to find a naked man inside her apartment.

“I was terrified, of course,” said the woman who asked not to be identified for fear of being recognized. “The guy had weapons in his hands and he was nude.”

She says the man was standing in her home holding a knife and a fire extinguisher, apparently looking for food.

He allegedly entered the home by smashing the window of the backdoor with a brick.

“In the moment, I was just shocked,” she said. “I definitely felt fear over being assaulted with weapons physically or being potentially sexually assaulted because this is a naked man. What would he do to me?”

Tensions have been high recently in Montreal’s Chinatown neighbourhood as residents, people experiencing homelessness and those with mental health issues struggle to cohabitate.

The woman, a student, says she couldn’t understand what the man was saying but believes he was asking for two weeks’ worth of food.

While she confronted the man, one of her roommates called 911, and Montreal police (SPVM) arrived to arrest the man.

The 49-year-old was charged with breaking and entering, armed robbery and breach of bail conditions in connection with the case.

He is still being detained.

The City of Montreal says it is aware of resident concerns and plans to hold public consultations on homelessness.