News

Actions

Port St. Lucie man wakes up to find burglar in his bedroom

Posted at 11:22 AM, Aug 23, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-23 18:33:21-04

A Port St. Lucie man woke up in the middle of the night to find a man rummaging through his bedroom nightstand.

Joseph Knapp says he suddenly woke up around 3 a.m. Monday afraid for his life. 

"It didn't seem real," said Joseph Knapp. "At first I thought I might have still been dreaming. "The lights were on in my room and there was a guy squatting next to my bed."

He told police he awoke to find a man in a white t-shirt in his bedroom. He yelled at the man to get out of his house and the suspect fled from the home in the 3200 block of SE Monte Vista Street.
 
"I didn't want to attack him," said Knapp. "I didn't know if he had a gun with him. I immediately started yelling at him, 'Who are you, what are you doing here, get out of my home!'" 

Police found fresh motorcycle tracks in the front yard along with an L&M brand cigarette. They also found an L&M cigarette butt inside the victim's house on the kitchen counter.

L&M cigarette found outside victim's home

The victim told police he doesn't smoke. 

An officer who was at a perimeter post noticed a motorcycle going down the next block of Monte Vista, drive off the road and travel behind a house.

The officer followed and found John Sikorsky, 26, who was shirtless and had L&M cigarettes in his pants pocket. The motorcycle was found nearby along with a white t-shirt.

"I think the Port St. Lucie police did an outstanding job," said Knapp. "I can't thank those guys enough."

 

Motorcycle police found with John Sikorsky

Detectives on the case learned that Sikorsky had entered the victim's house earlier in the night and stolen a laptop and credit cards. He dropped the computer off at a friend's house and then went to Walmart to use the credit cards.

When the cards were declined, Sikorsky went back to the victim's house, where he was discovered by the victim.

Knapp now plans to install an alarm system.