Woman wakes to doorknob ripped off front door in possible attempted break-in

CASSELBERRY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - A Casselberry family fears their destroyed front door knob is evidence someone tried to break-in while a family member was asleep inside.

The Casselberry Police were called to the home on Lancelot Way Wednesday morning just before 10. When officers arrived they found the handle-style door knob on the home’s front door had been damaged and was hanging off.

Brenda Lingo said she’d just gotten off of work hours earlier and was asleep inside sometime around 8:40 a.m. when her son called her from outside the home saying he was locked out and the door handle was ripped off.

“Tried to open the door and the thumb piece just kind of fell,” said Brenda’s son, Alexander Pursell.

Pursell said he’d only left the home about 30 minutes prior and there was no damage to the door on his way out.

“I always check the door,” he said, “just a little push-tug just to make sure it’s locked, and it was perfectly fine when I left. It didn’t do it by itself.”

Lingo said all of her family members had left the home just prior to the 30 minute window of time, and her car was the only one parked in the driveway at that point. She fears someone was trying to get inside under the heavy tree cover outside her front door.

“They couldn’t get past the deadbolt, she said. “It’s scary because I’m here alone.”

Lingo immediately took to neighborhood social media Wednesday to alert others in the area about what had happened and see if anyone saw anything; so far no luck.

According to the Casselberry Police report on the incident there were smudges on the door handle but no visible prints. Officers also didn’t find any evidence of damage to the door frame or deadbolt. A police spokesperson also said Wednesday that there haven’t been larger problems in the area with things like this recently.

Lingo said she’s lived in the neighborhood off and on for about thirty years and has heard some talk about vehicle break-ins and some thefts, but she’s always felt safe there until now.

“Yeah, now I’m afraid to go to sleep,” she said.

“You feel violated,” said Pursell. “I mean, this is your home. You don’t want people trying to get into your home when you’re not there.”

The family said they plan to be on guard and are advising their neighbors to as well. Lingo said they will not be victims.