The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
Near 7:00 am on June 22, a family learned that they had left their front door unlocked when an unknown man reportedly walked in and went to their 7-year-old daughter’s bedroom where she was asleep in her bed.
The suspect reportedly tried to tell the child to get up and follow him, but she remained in her bed and would not do as he asked.
The man allegedly grabbed the girl and carried her outside the front door of the home, before forcefully throwing her down the flight of steps onto the walkway below.
When the girl hit the ground, the man reportedly turned and went back into the home and closed the front door.
The young girl got up and reentered the residence, where the suspect allegedly threatened to kill her and her family and got his hands on her brother, age 5.
Before the suspect fled from the home, he allegedly used the fact that he was holding the children as a way to prevent the parents from calling the authorities.
Though he left the kids with their family, the suspect was able to escape the scene before the police were alerted about the incident.
The police found the man they believed was responsible in a nearby area and identified him as 32-year-old Pete Haughton.
Haughton has been accused of first-degree burglary, second-degree attempted kidnapping, second-degree assault, and endangering the welfare of a child.
He was incarcerated with no bail, and Haughton was ordered to partake in a psychiatric evaluation.
The authorities reported that Haughton was caught by a neighbor’s security camera as he went into the family’s home, and also said the footage shows the young girl being thrown down the stairs.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a crime, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.