Jacksonville family alarmed by naked man in middle of the night

The man was involuntarily committed under the Baker Act afterward

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – There were some frightening moments for a Mandarin family over the weekend when a nude man showed up at their home and tried to force his way inside repeatedly.

The alarming episode unfolded at a home on Burning Tree Lane South late Saturday night, homeowner Laurel Walker told News4Jax on Monday. The family was asleep when they heard a commotion.

"All of a sudden we heard banging at the front door and the door bell ringing over and over and over," Walker said. "I told my husband to get his gun and I was going to call 911."

The would-be intruder apparently swam from the boat ramp next to Clark's Fish Camp, scampered up the Walkers' dock and began pounding on their doors and windows.

"We sat up in bed and I yelled down to the front door and said, 'Who is it?'" Walker recalled. "He said, 'My name is Johnathan Foss. Please let me in--the demons are chasing me.'"

Walker said her husband stood by the front door, armed with a gun, while the stranger carried on for about 20 minutes. "You don't understand. I am going to get killed," Walker remembered Foss saying.

As a last resort, Foss tried to wriggle through the doggy door, where he was eventually captured by police, Walker said. She said he came in head first and then got an arm through the door as well.

"My husband asked him to turn around," she said. "He said, 'You do see I have a gun?' He said, 'Yes sir! I see you have a gun, but I'd rather you shoot me than leave me out here to be eaten by the demons."

A Jacksonville Sheriff's Office spokesperson said Foss was committed under the Baker Act since Saturday's incident. The law allows individuals to be held if they're believed to be mentally unstable.

A search of court records in Duval and St. Johns counties shows Foss has a history of arrests on theft and other charges in Northeast Florida over the years, including a case in St. Johns County last year.

Foss was arrested in August 2018 on suspicion of stealing pills from the Walmart on Race Track Road. He was handcuffed after shrugging off several taser blasts and telling deputies, "I am in heaven."


About the Author:

Zachery “Zach” Lashway anchors KPRC 2+ Now. He began at KPRC 2 as a reporter in October 2021.