Phillip A. Thomas was arrested and charged for the attempted kidnapping of WWE star Sonya Deville, Sunday.
Thomas is being charged with attempted armed kidnapping, armed burglary, and aggravated stalking. Authorities say he had been planning the crime for eight months.
Thomas entered the home through a back sliding glass door at 2:43 AM Sunday. The alarm was immediately triggered and Deville fled the property and called 911. Officers found Thomas on the property when they arrived. He had a knife, plastic zip ties, duct tape, mace and "other personal items," on him when he was arrested.
"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."
“Thank you everyone for your love and concern,” Deville wrote on Twitter. “A very frightening experience but thankfully everyone is safe. A special thank you to Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office for their response and assistance. “
[Via]
