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Girls at slumber party fight off naked intruder who broke into their California home

Police praise youngsters' actions as man charged

Andrew Buncombe
Seattle
Friday 17 May 2019 23:22 BST
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Timothy Picard has been charged with assault with a minor, first-degree burglary and violating probation
Timothy Picard has been charged with assault with a minor, first-degree burglary and violating probation (Clovis Police Department, via AP)

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Two young girls having a slumber party fought off a naked man who allegedly broke into their California home and sexually assaulted them.

Police praised the two girls from Fresno, 200 miles southeast of San Francisco, as they revealed a 26-year-old man who was on probation for stalking, had been arrested and charged over the incident.

Frenso police chief Matt Basgall said Timothy Picard had been arrested on Wednesday after investigators interviewed witnesses and gathered evidence, according the Associated Press.

The officer said of the girls: “I would like to commend these young ladies. They did everything right.”

He added: “The fact that this guy is on probation for doing something similar, it kind of makes your blood boil.”

The Fresno Bee said police were called last weekend to the house in the suburb of Clovis, after the girls woke up to find a naked man touching them inappropriately.

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The newspaper said the man had forced open a window into the room where the two friends were sleeping. He left through the same window after the girls fought him off.

Mr Picard has been charged with committing lewd and lascivious acts with a minor, first-degree burglary and violating probation.

It was not known whether he has a lawyer or has had an opportunity to yet enter a plea.

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