DA’s Office Files Pre-Trial Motion for Sonya Deville Stalker Phillip Thomas to be Held Without Bail

– As previously noted, Sonya Deville was granted an injunction against Phillip A. Thomas II, the man arrested for attempting to kidnap her. Thomas was previously assigned a public defender and invoked his right to remain silent. PWInsider released another update on Thomas today.

According to the latest legal update, the District Attorney’s office filed a motion asking for the court to hold Thomas without bail on August 17, which you can read below:

COMES NOW, the state of Florida by and through the undersigned attorney, pursuant to Florida Statue 907.041, and Rule 3.132, to respectfully petition this Honorable Court to order Pretrial Detention and as grounds therefore would show:

There is substantial probability, based on the Defendant’s past and present patterns of behavior, the criteria set forth in Florida Statue 903.046, and other relevant facts that Pretrial Detention is needed:

1. The Defendant is presently charged with dangerous crimes within the meaning of Florida Statute 907.041(4), to wit: Aggravated Stalking, Armed Burglary of a Dwelling, and Attempted Armed Kidnapping.

2. The basis for the these charges is as follows: On August 16, 2020, the defendant drove nearby to the residence of victim Daria Berenato and Amanda Sacomanno, a residential house with a roof over it, in Hillsborough County, Florida, parked at a local church, and walked approximately a third of a mile to the victim’s residence, at or about 0243 hours. He approached a patio screen at the residence and cut a hole in the patio screen with a knife and entered the lanai, in possession of plastic zip ties, duct tape, pepper spray (mace), window punches, and other items. The defendant entered through an unsecured patio glass door. This caused the residential alarm to sound. Mrs. Berenato, alerted, went to the door and saw the defendant in the residence with a knife in his hand and the pepper spray in his other hand. Both victims fled the residence. The defendant remained in the residence, as he believed that the two were upstairs hiding, and he was waiting for them to come downstairs. The defendant was located in the residence and taken into custody.

Victim Mrs. Berenato is a wrestler with a large online following. Due to her online settings, messages from non friends are sent to a folder, and are generally not read by Mrs. Berenato. Research of this folder and others developed multiple messages from the defendant, up to 5 years, in which the defendant expressed his desire to meet with the victim, expressed his obsession with the defendant, of a progressively more threatening manner. The defendant had attempted to contact Mrs. Berenato on multiple social media platforms over the course of years and had become increasingly more agitated when the victim did not respond. At least one of these messages was made while walking to the house, or the lanai or patio itself.

Post Miranda, the defendant admitted traveling from South Carolina on August 15, 2020, walking to the residence while carrying a backpack with zip ties, duct tape, pepper spray, and window punches, extra clothes, and a condom. The defendant stated that he watched the victims from the lanai for a number of hours prior to entering the residence. The defendant admitted that his intention was to take Mrs. Berenato hostage, by spraying her pepper spray (mace), binding her hands with the zip ties, and wrapping duct tape around her arms to prevent her from fighting back. He stated that he intended to keep Mrs. Berenato hostage, preventing her from attending a planned event scheduled for the following week, and that he was not going to leave her residence without her answering all of his questions.

The defendant was identified by his South Carolina Driver’s License.

3. Lesser forms of restraint other than restraint without bond will not suffice to protect either the victim or the safety of the public, given the defendants’ long term obsession with the victim, his anger as indicated in the messages, the lengths to which he planned and conducted an attempted kidnapping, including driving from South Carolina, and lying in wait at the victim’s residence.

Thomas will go before the court on Thursday, August 20 for his pre-trial detention hearing. This will determine if he will be held without bail or be allowed to post bond and allowed to be out of jail while he waits for his case to go to trial.

Currently, Thomas remains in jail at Hillsborough County Jail in Florida. Thomas was found and arrested at the home owned by Sonya Deville. He was previously charged with aggravated stalking, armed burglary of a dwelling, attempted armed kidnapping, and criminal mischief.

Sonya Deville and fellow WWE Superstar Mandy Rose were both at the house that night. They were awakened by her home alarm system and were able to get away when Thomas was trying to break in.