Handyman breaks in and holds woman hostage, then her fiancé stabs him, FL cops say
A couple’s handyman broke into their home, tied up the woman and held her hostage as he lay in wait for her fiancé to come home, Florida authorities said.
When her fiancé arrived, the handyman ended up needing a trip to the hospital himself, according to police.
Steven Houpt, 57, is now charged with two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment and home invasion robbery, according to the Pinellas Park Police Department.
The woman was home alone the afternoon of Aug. 12 when she answered the door, thinking it was the mailman, police said.
Houpt announced “I’m robbing you” and forced his way inside with the crowbar, according to an arrest affidavit police shared with McClatchy News.
He beat the woman in the head and tied her wrists with an extension cord, then changed his mind and decided to use duct tape instead, police said. The woman broke a window and tried to escape, but Houpt grabbed her by the hair and yanked her back inside, according to investigators. Police said he then beat her with the crowbar.
The attack left her needing stitches on her cheek, police said.
Houpt waited for the woman’s fiancé to get home, then when he did, Houpt grabbed a knife he found in the home and attacked him, according to officers.
The man was injured, but he fought back against Houpt and stabbed him multiple times, police said.
When first responders arrived, “Officers began life saving measures on Houpt until relieved by arriving medical personnel,” police wrote in a news release. “Houpt was transported to a local hospital for further treatment.”
The couple was also treated for their injuries, according to the police department. Houpt had recently done repairs on their home, investigators said.
According to the affidavit, police believe Houpt may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Pinellas Park is part of the Tampa Bay area.
This story was originally published August 13, 2025 at 4:47 PM with the headline "Handyman breaks in and holds woman hostage, then her fiancé stabs him, FL cops say."