A 26-year-old man stumbled upon an unexpected home invasion in his New York City apartment while preparing a snack, and he shared the entire experience on Instagram.
Alexander Mutammara, a sales strategist originally from Houston and now residing in Brooklyn, uncovered his “NYC villain origin story” when he noticed his bread was being nibbled on.
On September 12, he posted a video to Instagram that quickly went viral, racking up over 5.6 million views and 144,000 likes. The clip captures the moment he realizes he may have unwelcome roommates in his first-floor studio, where he’s lived for two years.
In the video, Mutammara is about to make a snack with some sliced bread when he notices a hole in the bag. “Hold on, I’m really triggered right now,” he comments. “Why does it literally look like there was a bite taken out of this?”
He explains that he had hired a professional to seal any entry points in his apartment after a thorough inspection, drilling metal plates over the spots identified.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), rodents can carry diseases that pose health risks to humans. Infections such as leptospirosis and salmonellosis can result from eating food contaminated by rodent droppings or through bites.
Thankfully, Mutammara reported that he hasn’t seen or heard any mice since the video was posted. “I’d rather remain unaware if they’re still around. They can take what they need, just do it quietly,” he joked, adding that he still feels anxious every morning when entering his bathroom.
Reactions from Instagram
Viewers flooded the comments with their reactions to Mutammara’s predicament. One user commented, “I love how you can see him processing what happened in real-time,” which resonated with Mutammara. “It’s a rare moment to capture, and that’s why people connected with it,” he explained.
Other comments ranged from sympathy over the bread to shared sentiments about their own experiences with mice: “@_everlizaaa” expressed sorrow over the loss of what looked like “good and soft” bread, while “@nadine.akkawi” humorously noted, “Nothing has ever made me laugh more than the mouse.” One user even shared their own precautionary measures: “I put mine in the fridge for this very reason, I am traumatized,” said “@t_cloetta.”