A man was arrested yesterday and charged with kidnapping a Florida resident, that he had been stalking on social media for years,
The name of the victim was not released, but the home where the arrest was made is owned by WWE star Sonya Deville, whose real name is Daria Berenato. The suspect, 24-year-old Phillip A. Thomas II from South Carolina, had reportedly planned the kidnapping for eight months.
Thomas parked his car at a nearby church before walking to her home inside a nearby subdivision. He then allegedly cut a hole in the patio screen of Deville’s home and waited several hours before she went to sleep, according to an arrest report.
Deputies arrived on the scene to find Thomas still in the house with a knife, plastic zip ties, duct tape, mace and other items. He told deputies he had planned to take the homeowner hostage.
“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 the news release. “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.”
Thomas' Twitter account featured many posts about Berenato. Thomas also posted several messages looking for help.
Berenato posted a thank-you message to fans on Twitter for their well-wishes, calling the break-in a "very frightening experience."