Former handyman accused of breaking into couple's home, violently attacking them
Home invasion victims speaking out
FOX 13's Kailey Tracy shares what the victims of a recent home invasion are saying after police say a former handyman broke in and attacked them.
PINELLAS PARK, Fla. - A Pinellas Park couple are out of the hospital after a home invasion attack on Tuesday afternoon, and they said they are lucky to be alive.
What we know:
Pinellas Park Police said a former handyman, Stephen Houpt, went to the house and tried to get inside while a woman was home alone. They added that Houpt forced his way inside when the woman, McKenzie Bray, opened the door, believing it was the mailman.
READ: Pinellas Park home invasion robbery reported, police on scene
That's when he started attacking Bray.
"She thought it was the mail carrier, so she opened the door, and he forced his way in and hit her in the face with a crowbar, punched her, brought her in the bedroom and tied her up with an extension cord and was wanting money, demanding money," James Allen, Bray’s fiancé, said.
Allen said Bray was able to free herself from the extension cord, broke the back window and tried to escape. He said Houpt heard her, though, and started beating her again with the crowbar and taped her up with duct tape. Then, Allen got home.
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"He waited for her fiancé, James Allen, to come home," Sergeant Alex Aguilar, the Pinellas Park Police Department’s spokesperson, said.
"I called her, and she wasn’t answering, and I thought that was strange," Allen said. "I came home and I saw the door was pried open. I just thought she locked her keys in the house, and she had to pry it to get in. Well, when I opened the door, I saw her face in the back bedroom and there was nothing but just blood. I thought maybe she fell or something. I still didn’t think anyone was there," Allen said.
Allen ran to her, but he said Houpt was hiding behind the door.
"He hit me with some kind of wrench, stabbed me with a screwdriver. He says he's going to kill me and he wants money. Then I flipped him on the ground. I'm beating him, took that driver from him and started stabbing him in the face and the gut. He had a pipe wrench I took from him and busted him in the mouth. Then he grabbed a knife and I blocked it with my hand. He cut my hand and I took that from them and stabbed him. He tried to get away," Allen said.
When officers arrived, they said they found Steven Houpt lying on the living room floor of the home with multiple stab wounds.
Bray, though, had freed herself again and hit him in the back of the head with a chair and sprayed a cleaner in his eyes, Allen said. He said he continued to beat Houpt while Bray called 911.
Houpt and the two victims were taken to an area hospital after the incident.
Dig deeper:
Allen said he didn’t realize until later that the suspect had been there before. He hired him as a handyman to work on their home a couple of months ago.
"I can't believe it's him. It didn’t even look like him, you know, but I didn't really know him, you know. He worked for me for five days," Allen said.
According to court records, Houpt’s criminal history includes burglary of an unoccupied dwelling and possession of methamphetamine and fentanyl just last month. He has similar charges dating back to 2017 in Pinellas County.
"He was wanting to rob us. He wanted money to get out of town. He was telling us he's going to die. He doesn’t care if he dies. I don't know what went wrong with the guy. I can't believe this happened to us. It could happen to anyone," Allen said.
What they're saying:
"The house is wrecked. There’s blood everywhere and everything’s damaged, but we’re fine, me and her, and that’s what means the most to me," Allen said.
Allen said he’s grateful he and his fiancé are alive.
"When I saw her and all that blood, and I just wish I could have been here in the beginning, but we're both alive and she's not hurt. I’m not hurt, and he's where he's supposed to be," Allen said.
What's next:
Houpt will be taken to the Pinellas County Jail when he is released from the hospital. He is in stable condition as of Tuesday.
He will be charged with home invasion robbery and two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon-false imprisonment.
What we don't know:
Police have also not released a motive for the home invasion and attack.
The Source: This story was written with information provided by the Pinellas Park Police Department. FOX 13's Kailey Tracy also spoke with a spokesperson with PPPD and the victims of the home invasion for this story.