A quiet Sacramento neighborhood was rattled this week after a man allegedly went door to door with a knife, frightening residents and prompting multiple calls to law enforcement.
The unsettling encounters were caught on camera, showing a man identified as Brian Mattson appearing outside homes and behaving erratically, per the New York Post.
One of those moments unfolded Thursday evening, when he showed up on Rebecca Breen’s porch.
“We heard a loud knock, and we looked in the ring camera, and we noticed that there was something very strange going on,” Breen told KCRA. “It was terrifying. It was absolutely terrifying.”
Video from the home’s camera system shows Mattson holding a knife and making repeated stabbing motions while standing at the front door.
The footage quickly spread, amplifying concerns among neighbors who feared they could be next.
Authorities say Breen’s home was not the only one targeted.
Sacramento County Sheriff’s Lt. Amar Gandhi confirmed deputies received several similar reports from nearby residents describing a man aggressively knocking on doors while armed.
“It’s pretty scary stuff. He’s going out there literally thrashing on doors with knives,” Gandhi said. “But fortunately, again, nobody hurt. People were very smart in the sense of lock the doors, stayed inside, and called us.”
By the time deputies arrived in the area, the suspect had already fled. The search continued until Saturday morning, when Mattson, 56, was located and taken into custody.
Despite the alarming nature of the incidents, authorities initially charged him with criminal trespassing. He was released just hours after being booked, according to reports.
That release was short-lived.
Later the same day, deputies responded to another incident involving Mattson trespassing once again. He was arrested a second time and remained in custody as of Saturday evening.
For residents like Breen, the ordeal has left lingering unease. While she does not believe her home was specifically targeted, the randomness of the situation has only heightened concern.
“I do believe that we were a random target. I don’t think that we were specifically targeted, but I think it’s very scary because if it wasn’t us, it’s going to be someone else. I mean, clearly he was not in his right frame of mind at all,” she said.
Though no one was physically harmed, the incident has shaken the sense of safety in the neighborhood, with residents now more alert after the frightening series of events.
