31-year-old Cary Cocuzzi had been hiding in his ex-girlfriend’s attic for two weeks before he decided to attack her — and now he faces burglary and unlawful restraint charges.
Police found the crazed man in the woman’s bedroom.
via NYDN:
The woman, who asked not to be identified, told WPXI she had a protection from abuse order against him.
She told the station she had a strange feeling that someone else may have been in her home after noticing items that were out of place.
“I had an intuition about it, but I ignored it,” she said. “I brushed it aside. I didn’t want to seem paranoid or, you know – you never think this will happen to you, but I should have trusted my instinct, because I was right.”
She first noticed that the toilet seat in her home was not as she left it and another time found a blanket in a corner of her basement that was not there before.
“But what could I do? I already had the PFA against him. I can’t call the police and say there’s a blanket in my basement.”
Her suspicions were confirmed Saturday when she said she saw him standing in the middle of her bedroom. Cocuzzi allegedly grabbed her by the face and put a hand over her mouth, but she was able to push him away and run outside.
Several neighbors called 911 after hearing her screams.
Police said Cocuzzi told them he was homeless and had been sneaking in and out of the home for about two weeks.
And while the woman said she’s thankful her two daughters were not home to see the incident unfold, she’s worried about what could happen if Cocuzzi is released.
“He did not respect the PFA. Who knows what could have happened?” she said.
This story could’ve ended so many different (and tragic) ways — we’re relieved to hear it didn’t.
