A man was arrested on Sunday night on several charges after being caught breaking into WWE star Sonya Deville's home in Lutz, Florida.
Phillip A. Thomas was arrested and charged with attempted armed kidnapping, armed burglary, and aggravated stalking ESPN reports. According to police, he had been planning this 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 this break-in.
Thomas is said to have entered the home at 2:43 A.M. on Sunday through a screen door after everyone had gone to bed. 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.
"Our deputies are unveiling the suspect's disturbing obsession with this homeowner who he had never met, but stalked on social media for years," Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. "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."
When police arrived, Thomas was still in the home. He was arrested while carrying a knife, plastic zip ties, duct tape, mace, and "other personal items." Police say that Thomas came to Florida from his home in South Carolina, and was planning on taking Deville hostage. He is currently being held without bond.
Deville took to social media to thank her fans and the officers who responded to her call.
