WESTMINSTER, Colo. -- A Westminster woman, missing since January, has been found in the crawlspace of a home and police have arrested her ex-boyfriend.

The woman, identified by police as Maxine Southern, 39, was found Friday after police were alerted to handwritten letters in trash bags that said she was being held "against her will."

Investigators went to the house, in the 7900 Block of Hooker Street, and were allowed inside to conduct a search of the home. That's when they found Southern inside the crawl space (pictured, below).

Police arrested the owner of the house, identified as William Gorman, 46 (pictured, left), after finding Southern in a crawl space of the house. She was unharmed, according to police.

Investigators said that Southern had a relationship with Gorman, but ended it in the early part of January. She was reported missing shortly after that by her daughter.

Gorman denied that Southern was held against her will. He told 7NEWS he was helping her hide in the crawl space because Southern had outstanding arrest warrants in Denver.

"She went in that crawl space and hid in the corner of her own free will. I never told her to get in there or anything," Gorman said.

Denver police, however, said that there were no arrest warrants out for Southern.

Gorman was taken to the Adams County Jail on a charge of second-degree kidnapping. He was released on a $30,000 bond.

News of the woman's discovery, and the suspect's arrest, was not announced by police until Monday. The investigation is continuing.