Overcome by jealousy, a Sonora man attempted to tunnel under his ex-wife’s property to spy on her but his plans went awry yesterday — he became stuck in the tunnel.

Police in Puerto Peñasco were called yesterday afternoon by Griselda Santillán, 58, who said she had been hearing strange noises behind her house during the past week, but had believed they were caused by cats.

But the noises became stranger yesterday, prompting Santillán and a neighbor to inspect her yard. They discovered the mouth of a tunnel and several knives and water bottles. Inside was her ex-husband, who had been trapped for some 24 hours and had been calling for help.

Emergency services personnel spent an arduous 45 minutes rescuing César Arnoldo Gómez Gómez, 50, Santillán’s husband of 14 years.

She told authorities that she had decided to leave him due to his jealous behavior, and had obtained a restraining order against him.

Gómez was hospitalized and treated for dehydration before being taken into custody for violating the restraining order.

Source: El Universal (sp), Infobae (sp)