Mugshot photos of the man who tried to kidnap Sonya Deville revealed, update on his status
As reported first yesterday by The Tampa Bay Times, a stalker was arrested for attempting to abduct Sonya Deville in her home.
The accused man's name has been revealed to be Phillip A. Thomas II, and he is currently incarcerated at the Hillsborough County Jail in Florida. Mugshot photos of Thomas have also been released, which you can view below:
A pre-trial hearing is scheduled to take place on Thursday, August 20th at 4:30 pm ET to decide whether or not the accused should be held without bail or be allowed to post a bond and go on trial while he is out. It was added that the chances of Thomas staying in jail aren't that great as he is not from the state of Florida.
Based on the records that have been released, Thomas has been charged with Armed Burglary of a Dwelling, Criminal Mischief, Aggravated Stalking and Attempted Armed Kidnapping.
The attempted kidnapping of Sonya Deville
Phillip A. Thomas II is a 24-year-old man who, according to the details revealed by the Hillsborough County Sherrif's office, was planning the abduction for the past eight months.
The South Carolina native came to Florida in the early hours of Sunday and allegedly parked his car near the WWE Superstar's home. Thomas made a hole in the patio screen before waiting patiently for a few hours, during which he watched through the windows.
Sonya Deville hit the sack at around 2:45 am, and Thomas then made his move by attempting to enter the house via the sliding glass doors. Thomas's intrusion ticked off the security system of the house, and the alarm went off, alerting Sonya Deville.
The SmackDown Superstar then peaked out of the window only to see the intruder outside her residence. She wasted no time in calling 911 and exited the premises in her car. The police arrived at the scene and found Thomas in the house.
When the police checked Thomas, they found mace, a knife, zip ties and duct tape, which was a clear indication that he intended on taking Sonya Deville as a hostage. Thomas confirmed his plans to the police, and it was also revealed that the accused had stalked Sonya Deville for a very long time. He was obsessed with the WWE Superstar and had attempted to interact with her in the past.
Sonya Deville released a statement and addressed the scary situation by thanking everyone for their love and support. She also expressed her gratitude for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office for its prompt response and action.
"Thank you everyone for your love and concern. A very frightening experience but thankfully everyone is safe. A special thank you to Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office for their response and assistance."
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda for more updates on the story.