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Resident Stabs, Kills Alleged Home Intruder At Apartment Complex
POSTED: 8:01 am EDT May 21,
2008
UPDATED: 2:55 pm EDT May 21,
2008
ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. -- A man in Altamonte Springs fought back and stabbed an accused home invader late Tuesday night. That man died from his injuries Wednesday morning.
RAW INTERVIEW: Man Describes Stabbing Apartment Intruder
The incident happened inside the Park at Vineridge Apartment Homes off State Road 434 as a married couple was sitting inside their apartment. The wife, who is pregnant, told Eyewitness News she was terrified when the man forced his way into their apartment and her husband said he had no choice but to fight back.Traces of blood remained in the doorway Wednesday of Juan Valderas' Altamonte Springs apartment. He and his wife were home Tuesday night when someone knocked on their door just before 10:00pm."I opened up the door and he basically pushed the door open with his right hand and grabs me by the throat," he said.Valderas said that's when his pregnant wife ran to a back bedroom and called 911. He got into a tussle with 23-year-old David E. Williams and eventually stabbed him in the chest twice with a pocket knife."It was really protecting my wife. She's pregnant, you know," Valderas said.Paramedics rushed Williams to Florida Hospital Altamonte, but he died Wednesday morning. It was news Valderas was not happy to hear."He was drunk, so I think maybe he had the wrong house, but that's why I opened up the door so he could see he had the wrong house," he explained.In the quiet Altamonte Springs apartment complex, residents are used to hearing the sound of leaf blowers, not police sirens."I think it's pretty crazy. Neighborhood's been good, pretty decent," said eyewitness George Portela.Valderas will not be charged and investigators said it should send a strong message to other criminals who might make the same mistake."This could be a consequence to anybody who would want to cause harm to individuals in a residence," said Kristin Kelting, Altamonte Springs Police Department.Eyewitness News learned that the suspect who was killed, David Williams, was arrested and charged just two months ago for loitering, prowling and resisting arrest.
RAW INTERVIEW: Man Describes Stabbing Apartment IntruderThe incident happened inside the Park at Vineridge Apartment Homes off State Road 434 as a married couple was sitting inside their apartment. The wife, who is pregnant, told Eyewitness News she was terrified when the man forced his way into their apartment and her husband said he had no choice but to fight back.Traces of blood remained in the doorway Wednesday of Juan Valderas' Altamonte Springs apartment. He and his wife were home Tuesday night when someone knocked on their door just before 10:00pm."I opened up the door and he basically pushed the door open with his right hand and grabs me by the throat," he said.Valderas said that's when his pregnant wife ran to a back bedroom and called 911. He got into a tussle with 23-year-old David E. Williams and eventually stabbed him in the chest twice with a pocket knife."It was really protecting my wife. She's pregnant, you know," Valderas said.Paramedics rushed Williams to Florida Hospital Altamonte, but he died Wednesday morning. It was news Valderas was not happy to hear."He was drunk, so I think maybe he had the wrong house, but that's why I opened up the door so he could see he had the wrong house," he explained.In the quiet Altamonte Springs apartment complex, residents are used to hearing the sound of leaf blowers, not police sirens."I think it's pretty crazy. Neighborhood's been good, pretty decent," said eyewitness George Portela.Valderas will not be charged and investigators said it should send a strong message to other criminals who might make the same mistake."This could be a consequence to anybody who would want to cause harm to individuals in a residence," said Kristin Kelting, Altamonte Springs Police Department.Eyewitness News learned that the suspect who was killed, David Williams, was arrested and charged just two months ago for loitering, prowling and resisting arrest.
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