Sonya Deville Recalls Being Afraid Of Returning Home After Kidnapping Attempt
WWE's Sonya Deville revealed she was afraid to return to her neighborhood – let alone her home – immediately after a man was caught breaking into her house on August 16, 2020, in an alleged attempt to kidnap her.
Phillip A. Thomas was arrested in the case and charged with aggravated stalking, armed burglary of a dwelling, attempted armed kidnapping, and criminal mischief. Thomas faced the possibility of being sentenced to life in prison. However, he was found incompetent to stand trial during a court hearing last May.
Thomas received a court-ordered medical examination, which determined to commit him to the Department of Children and Families in a mental health treatment facility. A temporary protection injunction was also filed, which prevents Thomas from going near Sonya Deville's home, vehicle, or any place Deville states that she or family/close associates "regularly frequent."
"It's been a crazy ride and you never know something like that is gonna happen until it happens," Deville recalled during an appearance on Wednesday's edition of The Pat McAfee Show. "And you don't know how you're gonna feel about something like that happening until it happens. I'll just say, the day of, I was like, 'Oh, everything's fine. I'm gonna go sleep in my house tonight.' And then by the time nightfall came I was – like, couldn't even drive to the neighborhood. So, it's crazy."
Sonya Deville took time off from WWE following the attempted kidnapping. She returned to WWE television in January 2021 and has been primarily used as an authority figure since then. However, she's had a handful of matches over recent weeks.
"And definitely being on the other side of things, it feels good to be back in the mix and finally getting back in the ring since then," Deville said. "It's kinda like a big full-circle moment for me. So I'm excited."
Sonya Deville is also excited about things happening outside the ring. She said she will be participating in the West Hollywood Pride Parade coming up in June. She says WWE is supporting her by sponsoring a float in the parade.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit The Pat McAfee Show with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.