Berkeley home invasion suspect charged with stalking neighbor

A man who stalked his neighbor for several weeks in February and then kicked open his door while swinging a butcher knife is in custody facing felony charges this week, according to court papers.

Police wrote that Montri Vanderhorst, 43, "has shown a pattern of fixation … that is escalating" in relation to the neighbor, who has limited mobility and vision due to medical conditions.

The victim said he was concerned Vanderhorst targeted him because he is Jewish, repeatedly referring to him as "the devil" and telling him he "needs to convert faster to Jesus and read the Bible," Berkeley police wrote in charging papers.

Scroll down for an update to the story.

BPD also noted that Vanderhorst "continues to torment" his neighbor despite having been arrested previously and admonished to leave him alone.

Police said the neighbor had made at least four police reports, dating back to 2023, about problematic incidents involving Vanderhorst, including one where he threw a brick through the man's window.

At least one of those incidents resulted in a restraining order, police wrote.

In late February, police say Vanderhorst kicked open his neighbor's door and confronted his caretaker, who had opened the door instead.

Montri Vanderhorst. BPD

The home invasion case resulted in a psychiatric hold for Vanderhorst, according to court papers.

In March, BPD picked him up at a psychiatric hospital in Fremont and arrested him, according to charging papers.

The Alameda County district attorney's office charged Vanderhorst with hot prowl burglary — breaking in while someone is home — along with assault with a deadly weapon and exhibiting a deadly weapon, according to charging papers.

He was also charged with felony stalking, according to court papers.

As of this week, Vanderhorst remains in custody at Santa Rita Jail but the case has been suspended pending review by a psychiatrist, according to booking records.

Vanderhorst is being held without bail while that review proceeds.

Update, April 10: Several of Vanderhorst's relatives contacted The Scanner after publication to share additional context.

They asked for their names to be withheld due to privacy concerns.

They said they had been working for years to advocate for Vanderhorst, who has a schizophrenia diagnosis.

One cousin said there was much more to him than the incidents described in the story might indicate.

"This was written with no knowledge of who he really is," the cousin wrote. "I grew up with Montri and the person you … are painting him to be is not the truth."

Two of his younger sisters also shared comments.

"We recognize that his behavior has been extreme and unacceptable," one of them wrote. "My sending this email is not to excuse any of Montri's behavior but to have our voices heard and to speak up for a loved one who cannot do so for himself."

She continued: "Montri, and his family alongside, have suffered immensely since his schizophrenia has gotten more severe, and help for it feels increasingly distant. Montri's case is not just about an individual but speaks to the trials many families face in advocating for a loved one who's only grown sicker."

"He's been living with this condition for the majority of his life," said another sister. "Did he make mistakes? Yes. But this doesn't make him a criminal."

Note: The booking photograph was added to this story after publication. Vanderhorst's age, which appears incorrectly in court records, was updated at the family's request.