‘Terrifying:’ Jacksonville woman says she woke up to a man staring at her; police investigating several cases on Westside

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — For nearly two weeks, a Lakeshore woman says she’s hardly been able to sleep.

In late August, she said she woke up to a man, who she doesn’t know, staring at her in her bedroom.

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“The first thing I saw was the man standing there,” she told Action News Jax.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said it’s working to identify the suspect who’s accused in a string of burglaries around the Lake Shore Boulevard and San Juan Avenue areas. Investigators say he’s been getting into homes through unlocked areas, staring at women, and then running away. Action News Jax learned he’s a suspect in five total, different cases.

Action News Jax is not identifying the woman for her safety, but she said he was inside her house not once, but twice in under two weeks.

“I asked, ‘What are you doing in here’ and he said, ‘Oh gosh I guess I’m in the wrong house, I don’t know how I got in the wrong house, I guess I’ll leave’,” she said. “I actually saw him closing the door slowly when I caught him. I was like ‘Whoa, whoa, what’s going on?’ he saw my face, I saw his face really well and he took off.”

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The woman Action News Jax spoke to said he wasn’t necessarily confrontational, but believed he was going to harm her if she didn’t see him.

“I don’t think he’s a thief, I don’t think this person came to rob my house, I think he came to attack me,” the woman told Action News Jax in tears. “It puts you on high alert, so now I’m checking my doors, I’m checking my windows, every day, every night I wake up in the middle of the night sometimes just making sure my doors are closed.”

She hopes police arrest him soon and wants other women to be on alert.

“Make sure your doors are locked, make sure your windows are locked, make sure you’re safe,” she said.

The woman we talked to said the suspect had a slightly deeper voice and appeared to be in his 20s. Police said as a matter of safety for residents, you should ensure access points to your homes are always secure.

If you see the suspect or have any information, call JSO or Crimestoppers.

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