ST. LOUIS – A woman seen harassing a south St. Louis family in a viral video was charged Wednesday in connection with a break-in at the same family’s home over a year ago.
The St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office charged Judy Kline, 54, with first-degree burglary, first-degree property damage, and unlawful use of a weapon. However, Kline is not yet in police custody.
According to Sgt. Charles Wall, a spokesman with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the crimes allegedly took place on Jan. 5, 2022, in the 5700 block of Lisette Avenue, located in the Princeton Heights neighborhood.
A probable cause statement filed by police claims Kline knocked on the front door and wielding a hammer. Ring camera video recorded her yelling, “What the hell are you doing in my home? Get out, b—-! Get out! It’s my home!”
The woman on the video went to the back of the home and used the hammer to break through a basement door window. She then began to smash a dryer.
A male resident was inside the home with his 4-year-old daughter at the time of the break-in. The resident allegedly confronted Kline, who yelled insults at him while holding the hammer above her head threateningly.
Sgt. Wall said Kline was arrested for the initial break-in, but later released.
Our news partners at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Kline continued to visit the home over the next 12 months and repeatedly harassed the family.
Fatima Suarez, the homeowner’s eldest daughter, shared the Ring security video on social media and lamented that nothing had been done to protect her family. That video, which allegedly shows Kline taking mail from the home and sitting outside the residence overnight, went viral on TikTok.
The probable cause statement states Kline had already been served with an ex parte order of protection from the homeowner and has a court date on that matter scheduled for the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 15.
Suarez said she’s been told by investigators that Kline was being held Wednesday at an area hospital for a mental evaluation. She encourages anyone who faces harassment to speak out.
“They shouldn’t be scared to speak up at all for situations like this,” she said. “If they don’t like the answer police gave them, then look for another route to get the answer you want.”
A spokesperson for the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office released this statement:
“The Circuit Attorney’s Office works closely with the police to hold individuals accountable for criminal behavior. When cases are submitted by the police, the SLMPD determines the public safety threat to evaluate whether the case should be reviewed within 24 hours of the application for an arrest warrant. The CAO has elevated the warrant application related to this case, and is awaiting the video evidence that was not initially submitted, and that is now circulating on the Internet. If anyone has additional information, we ask them to contact the police or our office.”
