He broke into her home three times. But this time she was ready for him, cops say

A woman in San Marcos, Texas, woke up at 5:30 a.m. Dec. 3 to find a man in her bedroom watching her sleep, police say.

The woman held a stun gun on Chaitanya Cherukuri, 24, while shouting at her roommate to call police, according to the San Marcos Police Department. Officers arrested Cherukuri on suspicion of burglary of a habitation, stalking and voyeurism. He was later released after posting $140,000 bail, reported KVUE.

Police in San Marcos, located between Austin and San Antonio, said it was the third time Cherukuri had broken into the woman’s apartment. The first time, on Oct. 11, she thought he was drunk and had wandered into the wrong apartment by mistake, KXAN reported. The second time, on Nov. 17, he ran away before police arrived.

A copy of the woman’s apartment key was found on Cherukuri’s key ring, police said. KXAN reported the woman had changed her locks after the second incident, but police say Cherukuri climbed through an unlocked window Dec. 3. The woman woke to find him crouched at the end of her bed, shoeless and without underwear, the station said.

Cherukuri may be involved in up to a dozen other similar cases, San Marcos police said. They are asking other potential victims to come forward.

This story was originally published December 11, 2017 at 1:46 PM with the headline "He broke into her home three times. But this time she was ready for him, cops say."