A Bay Area family experienced a terrifying ordeal when a deranged man appeared at their front door and demanded entry before allegedly breaking into the residence and forcing the homeowner to fend him off with a shovel.
Jason Thomas Nichols was dressed in a black trench coat and a Demon Slayer anime T-shirt on April 7 when he is accused of approaching a house in Fairfield, California, and initially calmly asked to be let in.
The homeowner spoke to the stranger remotely through a Ring doorbell camera, which captured the exchange that quickly escalated. Although he wasn’t home, his pregnant wife and their five-year-old son were inside the residence at the time.
Over the course of the exchange, the stranger allegedly became progressively more agitated and aggressive as he demanded entry into the home. He is accused of eventually breaking in through a sliding glass door after being unable to get in through the front.
While speaking with the deranged man, the homeowner called 911 and began making his way back home, fearing for the safety of his family.
He arrived home armed with a shovel and he confronted the stranger, who by that point was allegedly already inside the house. The pregnant mother and the five-year-old were hiding in the garage.
The Fairfield Police Department said that the father was able to get the home invader out of the house but that both men suffered head injuries during their encounter.
Police arrived a few minutes later and arrested Nichols on charges of burglary, assault, vandalism and criminal threats.
Jason Thomas Nichols, 29, was captured on Ring doorbell camera footage invading a home on April 7
Before breaking into the house, Nichols spoke with the homeowner remotely through the Ring doorbell and became progressively more aggressive during the exchange
The home invasion took place in Fairfield, California, shaking up the father, pregnant mother and their five-year-old son who live there
In a statement, Fairfield police said: ‘We are grateful that the family is safe and commend our officers for their swift response in bringing this dangerous situation to a safe resolution.’
The disturbing home invasion that was caught on camera began with the homeowner asking Nichols why he wanted to enter the residence, to which he replied: ‘I just want to make sure that everything’s okay. There seems to be something going on.’
‘I don’t know what you want, man. Get out of my house,’ the homeowner said after a brief back and forth. Before he could finish the second sentence, Nichols became extremely aggressive and began kicking the front door.
‘Open this f***ing door! Where’s your daughter, man?’ Nichols said. The homeowner just has a kindergarten-aged son and a second, unborn child.
The deranged and seemingly delusional man continued to ask about an imaginary daughter and appeared to be convinced that she was in danger.
Later in the video, the homeowner continued asking the stranger to leave. Staring into the camera, the disturbed individual then asked, ‘Do you know what my name is?’
‘I don’t know who you are. You don’t belong in this neighborhood. That’s for sure,’ the homeowner replied.
‘This is my neighborhood, though,’ the deranged stranger replied before leaning into the camera and saying, ‘My name is Harry Dresden, Motherf***er. Open the door.’
The seemingly delusional man continually referenced an imaginary daughter who he seemed convinced was in distress. He is pictured trying to pry the Ring camera off the wall
Nichols is pictured aggressively ringing a decorative bell by the front door just before it broke
Nichols then repeatedly slammed the broken bell’s chain against the door and began shouting about opening the door at the top of his lungs
Harry Dresden is a fictional wizard detective in the fantasy novel series Dresden Files.
The stranger continued to stare into the camera before saying, menacingly: ‘Open the door now, or I will f***ing end you. Do you understand me?’
All of a sudden, he then leaned back and rang a decorative bell on the wall next to him so aggressively that it broke. He then used the bell’s chain to bang on the door and shouted, ‘Open the f***ing door!’
Once inside, a security camera caught Nichols walking around and opening doors as he appeared to be searching for the imaginary daughter that he seemed to believe was in distress.
‘Where the f*** is she?!’ Nichols could be heard shouting off camera.
The same angle from the interior camera then shows the homeowner, with a shovel slung over his shoulder, repeatedly telling Nichols to ‘get the f*** out of my house.’
By that point, the physical encounter between the men which police said left both of them with head injuries seemed to have just occurred, and Nichols, out of breath, eventually agreed to leave.
Nichols was treated at NorthBay Medical Center for his injuries and booked into the Solano County Jail. He was given a $35,000 bond.
Nichols eventually broke into the house through a sliding glass door after being unable to break in through the front and started searching the house
The homeowner made it back to his house before the police, armed himself with a shovel and was able to get Nichols out
On Monday, Nichols had his first court appearance. The judge upped his bond to $250,000, citing the need to ensure the safety of his victims and the threat he posed to the neighborhood.
Nichols, who was appointed a public defender, was also given an additional charge of annoying or molesting a child during the court proceedings.
Authorities also confirmed that Nichols lives in the house behind his victims’ home, but they did not share a suspected motive for the home invasion.
Nichols did not enter a plea on Monday. He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for April 24.
