- 08/16/2020 (6:56:13 pm)
- Bob Mulrenin
ESPN posted the following:
A man was arrested Sunday on a kidnapping charge at the home of WWE star Sonya Deville.
Phillip A. Thomas was arrested and charged with three felonies — attempted armed kidnapping, armed burglary and aggravated stalking — at a home in Lutz, Florida, according to police. Thomas is also being charged with misdemeanor criminal mischief. He is being held without bond.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest but did not release the homeowner’s name. ESPN confirmed via public records that the home is owned by WWE’s Deville, whose real name is Daria Berenato.
Police said Thomas had been planning the alleged crime for eight months. Sheriff Chad Chronister said Thomas stalked the alleged victim “on social media for years.” According to a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office news release, Thomas entered the home at 2:43 a.m. ET Sunday, after the homeowner went to bed, through a back sliding-glass door.
The entry triggered an alarm, which led to the homeowner looking out the window and seeing Thomas on the property. The homeowner and a guest fled the house in a car and called 911. Thomas was still inside the residence when officers arrived, per the release. He was carrying a knife, plastic zip ties, duct tape, mace and “other personal items.”
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