A South Carolina man who chased a 26-year-old WWE star for years and spent eight months to kidnap her was arrested Sunday after breaking into her home in Tampa, sheriff’s officials said. Phillip A. Thomas II, 24, of Cordesville, South Carolina, was arrested early Sunday for trying to carry out the plot, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
The sheriff’s office did not identify the victim, but the home where Thomas was arrested is owned by Daria Berenato, whose stage name is Sonya Deville. She performs for WWE and stars in the E! cable channel reality TV series Total Divas. She later tweeted a thank you note to the sheriff’s office.
Larry Busacca / AP
Thomas is facing charges of aggravated stalking, armed robbery of a home, attempted armed abduction, and criminal offenses, and is expected to make his first appearance in court on Monday.
According to investigators, Thomas parked his car at a nearby church, ran around the house and cut a hole in a screen to enter the patio of the house, where he remained for three to four hours watching and listening and listening through the windows.
Thomas walked through the house through a sliding door at 2:43 a.m., after the homeowner went to bed, the release said. The alarm went off.
Sheriff’s officials said the homeowner looked out a window and saw Thomas before going with a guest in a car. She also called 911. Thomas was still at home when deputies arrived.
When deputies arrived, they said Thomas was still in custody and carrying a knife, plastic zip ties, duct tape, mace and other personal items, CBS affiliate WTSP reports.
On jail records, Thomas is listed as an Applebee crew member. He was held without bail and records leased no lawyer for him.
“Our deputies are discovering the suspect’s disturbing obsession with this homeowner he has never met but stepped on social media for years,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “It’s horrible to think of all the ways this incident could have played out if the home alarm didn’t go off and alert the homeowner of a burglar.”
ESPN reports that Berenato, a former MMA fighter, is the first openly gay female wrestler in WWE history. Berenato tweeted about the incident late on Sunday, calling it a ‘very horrible experience.’
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