Cops have thwarted an apparent kidnapping attempt at the home of WWE superstar Sonya Deville — claiming the suspect is an obsessed fan who was armed with a knife, zip ties and duct tape.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in Lutz, Florida arrested 24-year-old Philip A. Thomas on Sunday … saying he had been planning his move for 8 months.
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
Officials say Thomas parked his car at a nearby church late Saturday night and walked to Deville’s home — where he cut a hole in a patio screen, waited for several hours and then entered the residence around 2:45 AM.
Thomas set off a house alarm, which startled Deville — and once she realized there was an intruder, she fled the home with another person and called 911.
Cops arrived and found Thomas still inside the home. He was arrested for attempted armed kidnapping, armed burglary, aggravated stalking and misdemeanor criminal mischief.
Cops say he’s an obsessed fan who was on a mission to “inflict harm.”
“Our deputies are unveiling the suspect’s disturbing obsession with this homeowner who he had never met, but stalked on social media for years,” the HCSO 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.”
26-year-old Deville — real name Daria Berenato — later commented on Twitter, thanking cops.
“Thank you everyone for your love and concern. A very frightening experience but thankfully everyone is safe,” Deville said.
“A special thank you to Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office for their response and assistance.”
Deville appeared on the WWE reality competition “Tough Enough” back in 2015 and went on to become a star with the company.
