A man is in custody after a Pennsylvania mother told police that a stranger had entered her home multiple times to stare at her 9-year-old daughter while she was sleeping.
Tiffany Szabara told WPVI that a man has broken into her home in Coatesville four times since September. One incident occurred as recently as Christmas Eve when surveillance cameras captured footage of the stranger in her kitchen.
Days later, on 27 December, Coatesville Police announced that Jefferson Mejia Gonzalez turned himself in after officials issued a warrant for his arrest. Authorities said he was charged with burglary, criminal trespass, stalking, and other crimes.
The mother explained the series of break-ins to the WPVI, telling the outlet that the suspect had come in through the back door of the home. Initially, he was able to get in that way because the lock was broken.
On two subsequent occasions, the door was left unlocked, and on another occasion, he climbed through a window, she recounted. While the manner in which he has entered the house has changed, one thing remains the same: he always goes to the child’s bedroom.
“He’s coming in and having conversations with her,” Ms Szabara told the outlet. To make the break-in even more alarming, she added, “He’s going straight to my daughter’s bedroom at the top of the stairs and watching her sleep.”
“I even had cash on the counter one day, and he didn’t touch the cash. He just goes into my daughter’s bedroom,” Ms Szabara said.
The mother said that she has since installed cameras and new locks.
Coatesville Police Department posted photos of the man captured by the video cameras, asking for the public’s help in identifying him. Someone identified Mr Gonzalez to police, prompting authorities to issue an arrest warrant. He turned himself in shortly thereafter.
Following his arrest, Ms Szabara told NBC10 that during one incident, Mr Gonzalez asked the nine-year-old to come with him. The daughter rejected the offer, and he didn’t force her to comply, the outlet reported.
Ms Szabara said, “My nine-year-old daughter told this man, ‘Don’t pet my dog. Get out of my house.’ She didn’t scream. She actually followed him down the stairs as he left.”
