WWE Superstar Sonya Deville was allegedly at the center of a failed kidnapping plot by Phillip Thomas, who was arrested on Sunday morning by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department in Lutz, Florida. The South Carolina man was stalking Deville, real name Daria Berenato, and had plotted her abduction for roughly eight months, according to the Sheriff’s office. Police said Phillip reportedly waited near Deville’s property for nearly four hours, waiting for her to fall asleep, cutting a hole into her patio screen around 3 am. He then activated the security alarm and attempted to enter her house when he was spotted by Deville, and then tried to escape.
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Deville has since issued a response to her fans, thanking them for their support and well wishes, while also praising the officers who have handled the situation.
Thomas was charged with aggravated stalking, armed burglary, attempted armed kidnapping and criminal mischief. When police arrived he was still on the property and had “a knife, plastic zip ties, duct tape, mace and other items” on his person. He is currently being held without bail.
“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 via the Tampa Bay Times. “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.”
On television, Deville has been locked in a feud with her real-life best friend Mandy Rose. It was announced this week that the two would compete in a Hair vs. Hair match at the upcoming SummerSlam pay-per-view.
“I mean, it’s really not about winning anymore, because I already know I’m better than Mandy in the ring,” Deville said in a interview with ComicBook earlier this week. “It’s about getting rid of her. I don’t, I don’t want her in the division. I don’t want her anywhere near me. She’s been like a thorn in my side for the last five years, and I’m so sick, to be honest, I’m sick of hearing her name, even in this interview right now, it’s annoying me. I don’t want to hear Mandy Rose’s name anymore. It’s Sonya Deville’s time. I’m the star now.”
Cover photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images
