The man who broke into Sonya Deville's home with the intention of kidnapping the WWE Superstar has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Social media has allowed wrestling fans into the lives of those they see on TV every week like never before. In a lot of ways, that's a good thing. Wrestlers can interact with their fans, answer their questions, update them on their lives and careers at the touch of a button whenever they like. However, it also comes with its pitfalls, and some of those pitfalls are incredibly deep.
At its absolute worst, social media allows fans to abuse wrestlers. Bombarding them with messages and tweets detailing why they dislike them. Sure, there are block and mute buttons, but they can only do so much. That was proved last month when after months of messages, Philip Thomas II traveled to Lutz, Florida and broke into Sonya Deville's home.
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Deville found Thomas in her home after he set off the alarm at 2:45 am. She and Mandy Rose, who had been staying in Deville's guest room, escaped the house and called 911 from the car. Thomas remained in the house until officers arrived thinking Deville and Rose were hiding upstairs. This week, Thomas pleaded not guilty to all of the charges brought against him, of which there are a few.
The charges include Armed Burglary Of A Dwelling, Attempted Armed Kidnapping, Aggravated Stalking With A Weapon, and Criminal Mischief for $200 Or Less. That first charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, while the others all carry a maximum sentence of 15 years each. Thomas remains in custody and was denied bail out of concern for Deville and her family.
On the one hand, the not guilty pleas may not have come as a surprise. On the other hand, Thomas reportedly admitted to police that he had planned to take Deville hostage and that he had been planning the whole thing for eight months. Deville wrestled at SummerSlam shortly after the incident but has been absent ever since, losing a loser leaves WWE match against Rose at the PPV.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
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