Attempted murder, burglary and drug charges were filed Friday against a man who allegedly got inside an Orange County home, stripped off all his clothes and attacked a woman, then climbed onto the roof of a school building where he holed up for several hours before being taken into custody.
The attempted murder charge against Keith Eric Newbury, 37, includes a sentencing enhancement allegation of attempted premeditated murder. He is also charged with one felony count each of assault with the intent to commit a sex offense, burglary and vandalism, and misdemeanor counts of indecent exposure, possession of heroin, possession of an opium pipe and resisting arrest.
Orange County sheriff's deputies received multiple 911 calls Wednesday night about the home invasion, in which the suspect walked into the bedroom of a 14-year-old boy, roused the youth and asked him a question, then undressed as the teen went to alert his parents while arming himself with a meat cleaver.
Newbury allegedly followed the boy and wrapped a USB cable around his mother's shoulder. The boy's father, who had been outside, chased the suspect out of the home, according to sheriff's officials. Newbury jumped into a white Dodge van and drove onto the grass of Francis Hopkinson Elementary School at 12582 Kensington Road, got out of the vehicle and climbed up onto the roof of a campus building, where he was spotted by a law enforcement helicopter crew while trying to hide, according to the sheriff's department.
Personnel from multiple agencies surrounded the school building and repeatedly demanded that the suspect surrender. After several hours, the suspect climbed down a ladder supplied to him and was taken into custody. The vandalism charge stems from damage to an air conditioner at the school, according to court records.
