A knife-wielding man has been caught on camera outside a family's home in California, where he stood on their doorstep slashing at the air repeatedly with a massive blade. The footage, captured on the family's Ring doorbell, has left the neighbourhood in shock.
The incident
Rebecca Breen and her husband were watching television at their home in Arden, Sacramento, at around 8.30pm on Thursday when the alarm for their doorbell camera began going off, pinging them with alerts. They were left stunned by what they saw.
Breen told KCRA: 'We heard a loud knock and we looked in the ring camera and we noticed that there was something very strange going on.' She then revealed that a man—a total stranger—could be seen at their front door holding a knife and appearing to repeatedly stab towards the front door. 'It was terrifying. It was absolutely terrifying,' she admitted.
Police response
Fearing the worst, she called emergency services as panic spread through the neighbourhood, with multiple residents reporting sightings of the armed man. According to the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office, deputies were on the scene within minutes—but the suspect had already fled. A police helicopter was then dispatched, with pilots and police racing to find the man.
He managed to evade officers initially but was later found and arrested on Saturday morning. He has since been released after being charged with criminal trespassing. Officials said the man had been 'thrashing on doors with knives', but confirmed that no one was injured during the frightening incident.
Community reaction
Residents were praised for locking their doors, staying inside and calling police. Breen said she does not believe her home was specifically targeted, but admitted the randomness of the attack has left her shaken. 'I do believe that we were a random target. I don't think that we were specifically targeted, but I think it's very scary because if it wasn't us, it's going to be someone else,' she said.
The chilling late-night ordeal has left the entire neighbourhood quaking in fear after police eventually found the man and arrested him—only to release him back into the public. Neighbours have since voiced frustration, claiming private security failed to respond and that communication from authorities in the aftermath was slow, adding to the fear sparked by the horrific ordeal.
