John Davalos came face to face with a naked burglar in his Spring Valley apartment just after midnight on Friday.
“Hey bro, I just want to take a shower,” the stranger told Davalos as he stood in Davalos’ bathroom.
Instantly, Davalos said he knew he had to stay calm to keep his wife and two daughters — asleep in the next room — safe in the bizarre and disturbing home break-in.
“I said ‘OK’ and I closed the door,” he told NBC 7. “I went, grabbed my cellular, dialed 911, grabbed a knife and tried to tell him to stay right there.”
Suddenly, the intruder lunged for the knife, trying to wrestle Davalos for it. Davalos punched him and the two started wrestling.
That’s when Davalos’ brother-in-law came in the bathroom and helped Davalos subdue the intruder.
“I was scared for my daughters,” he said. “He was so strong. He was a strong guy.”
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The suspect, identified by police as Michael Dolias, sustained minor cuts in the struggle and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Dolias had apparently gained entry to the apartment by removing the family's air conditioning unit and crawling through the space. He was then charged with burglary, officials said.
Dolias was booked into San Diego Central Jail and is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Davalos said he doesn’t even want to imagine what could have happened if he wasn’t at home.
“Luckily nothing bad happened,” he said. “My family is safe and he is in jail.”
