A man has been arrested by police for breaking in and attempting to kidnap WWE star Sonya Deville in her Florida home.
The man identified as Phillip A. Thomas had been planning the home invasion for eight months. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office revealed that Thomas had also been stalking Deville via social media in the years leading up to the break-in.
According to Vulture, Thomas entered the home at 2:43 A.M. on Sunday through a screen door while everyone was sleeping. That’s when he triggered the home alarm system, waking up those inside. The people inside, one of whom is believed to be Deville, saw Thomas on the property from a window, and called 911 after fleeing in a vehicle.
He was arrested while carrying a knife, plastic zip ties, duct tape, mace, and “other personal items.”
Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement: “Our deputies are unveiling the suspect’s disturbing obsession with this homeowner who he had never met, but stalked on social media for years,
“It’s frightening to think of all the ways this incident could have played out had the home alarm not gone off and alerted the homeowner of an intruder. Our deputies arrived within minutes and arrested this man who was clearly on a mission to inflict harm.”
Deville took to social media to thank her fans and the officers who responded to her call.
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She tweeted: “Thank you everyone for your love and concern. A very frightening experience but thankfully everyone is safe. A special thank you to Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office for their response and assistance. 🖤”