Fairfield home intruder confronted by shovel-wielding homeowner
Pregnant woman, child hid in garage during Fairfield home invasion
A man made his first court appearance on charges he invaded a home in Fairfield after demanding entry, as caught on doorbell video.
FAIRFIELD, Calif. - A suspect captured on video screaming to get inside a Fairfield home, and later coming face-to-face with the homeowner, who fended him off with a shovel, is now facing additional charges.
Jason Nichols, 29, was arrested on suspicion of burglary, vandalism, and making criminal threats. On Monday, authorities added a charge of annoying or molesting a child, according to the Fairfield Police Department.
Video captures confrontation
What we know:
Video from the April 7 incident shows Nichols standing on the porch of a home in the 1700 block of Burbank Court. Nichols, who does not live at the residence, is seen communicating with the homeowner through a Ring doorbell camera, asking him to open the door.
"I just want to make sure everything is OK. There seems to be something going on," Nichols said.
"What do you mean?" the homeowner responded, repeatedly asking Nichols to leave.
Nichols is then seen on video kicking the door and shouting, "Where’s your daughter? Who’s in there with you? Open this f---ing door or I’m breaking it down."
At one point, Nichols identifies himself as a fictional wizard and private investigator from an urban fantasy series.
"My name is Harry Dresden, mother f--- !" the man says. "This is my neighborhood."
During the recording, the homeowner, who had just left the home minutes before, continues to tell Nichols to leave.
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Forced entry
Nichols refuses, yanking off a decorative doorbell and continuing to shout for the door to be opened, at one point screaming, "Or I’ll f---ing kill you."
The homeowner's pregnant wife and 5-year-old child were inside the home. They went and hid in the garage.
Unable to get in through the front door, Nichols eventually gained entry by breaking a gate and going in through a sliding glass door. The homeowner was already en route back to the house.
Inside the home
Dig deeper:
Video from inside the home shows Nichols moving through rooms and yelling, "Where the f--- is she?"
He is then confronted by the homeowner, who is armed with a shovel. While the video does not show the physical altercation, a commotion can be heard.
The homeowner is later seen holding the shovel and telling Nichols, "I’m giving you a chance — get the f--- out of my house."
Fairfield homeowner fights off attacker to protect family
A video showing a Fairfield homeowner fighting off a home invader may cause "concern" as it circulates on social media, police said Saturday.
Arrest and injuries
Authorities confirmed a physical confrontation occurred between Nichols and the homeowner. Both sustained head injuries, police said.
Officers arrived within minutes and found Nichols outside the home. He was taken to NorthBay Medical Center for treatment and later booked into the Solano County Jail.
"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," police said.
During Nichols' court appearance on Monday, he seemed to take issue with some of the charges and shocked his head as Superior Court Judge William Pendergast read the complaint.
He did not enter a plea.
Authorities would not say if Nichols was in fact targeting any child related to the homeowner. They did say Nichols lives behind the family's home, though a motive has not been determined.
Bail for Nichols was set at $250,000.
The Source: Fairfield Police Department