PINELLAS PARK, Fla. (WFLA) – A Florida couple is recovering after what police are calling a targeted and violent home invasion.
Investigators said the suspect, 49-year-old Stephen Houpt, had previously done repair work on the couple’s home.
McKenzie Bray said Houpt showed up at her house Tuesday afternoon while she was inside alone.
“He did a little bit of work for us, fixing up damage done by hurricanes and [to] get the house in better shape,” Bray told Nexstar’s WFLA.
Believing he was the mailman, Bray opened the door. Detectives said Houpt forced his way inside, hit her in the head, and tied her up.
Her fiancé, James Allen, returned home during the attack.
“He had her tied up and taped on the bed,” Allen recounted. “Then he planned to knock me out when I got home, tie us both up, and steal our money.”
Neighbors noted that a power outage had occurred for several hours that day following an electrical incident nearby. This situation, they believe, may have left the couple more vulnerable.
“There was a power explosion, so there was no electricity for a solid four hours from about 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., which makes me think that the suspect knew about the outage and exploited the lack of camera surveillance,” explained neighbor Christina Wilkes.
Police said Houpt attacked Allen with a screwdriver and a knife.
“He stabbed me in the eye with a screwdriver and then in the hand with a knife,” Allen said. “I took his knife from him and started stabbing him.”
Both victims were injured but managed to fight Houpt off. He was also stabbed during the struggle and remains in the hospital.
“I’m lucky the cops came and I didn’t have to kill him,” Allen said.
Once Houpt is released, he will face booking at the Pinellas County Jail with charges including home invasion robbery, aggravated battery, and false imprisonment.
