SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. -
Hit with pepper spray while in her own bed! Police say a violent home invasion left a South Burlington woman hurt and the suspect behind bars.
Talk about a nightmare. Well the home owner is doing fine, physically... but the suspect in the case, 24 year old John White, father of two, is facing a very long time behind bars. I spoke exclusively with his fiancé in court today.
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Her husband left for work, and she went to bed. The woman who lives in the South Burlington home on Spear Street then awoke to a man in her bedroom. As she dialed 911, she was pepper sprayed. Police say 24 year old John White is the man behind the terrifying attack.
"Here we have a victim who was extremely traumatized by the event, so we'll take that into consideration as well," Deputy State's Attorney Andrew Strauss said.
White pleaded not guilty in court Wednesday, but he's fighting an uphill battle. That's because when police arrived at the home, they say they found White in the garage with a bag of stolen goods. Prescription medication, laptops and more. They say White was armed with two knives when arrested. He told police he was looking for a friend.
"He's an amazing guy and I don't know what happened last night and I don't believe that it even could be true," His fiance Michelle McCray said.
White's fiancé sat crying in court and talked with me after. They have two daughters together.
"He's an amazing dad and he's a great person," she said.
I asked, "was he with you last night?" She shook her head, "No."
White was charged with assault and robbery and being in possession of ecstasy. He has a prior criminal record that includes burglary and drug possession.
Because this is a violation of White's parole, he's being held without bail. Two of the three charges carry the possibility of a 25 year sentence.
"Drugs are a motivator for crimes, definitely," Strauss added.
Police also say they found White's cell phone in the house and car parked down the street in another person's driveway.
His next court appearance will be in March.
