A woman was rescued from a chimney after she became stuck while allegedly trying to break into the home of a man she met online, US media reports say.

She was identified as 30-year-old Genoveva Nunez-Figueroa.

A neighbour described how the fire fighters turned up in the early hours after reports of a woman crying.

Local television channel KTLA showed footage of emergency personnel dismantling the chimney brick-by-brick to reach the woman.

She was stuck in the main body of the chimney more than two meters down.

The man whose home she was trying to get into said they had met online and dated a few times.

"She seemed totally cool, until the first flag was her actually being on my roof two weeks ago," he told KTLA, adding: "I hope she gets help. I hope she stays offline."