Police: Man burst into house, swung butcher knife at children

A Pittsburgh man is accused of bursting into a house and swinging a butcher knife at children.

Channel 11 learned that man was back in that neighborhood just days later.

The victims, the Williamson family, went back to police and are pressing more charges to keep the man off the streets.

James Williamson and his family, including 12 kids, were inside his mom's house near Allendale Street in Sheraden when a strange man walked in.

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"The screen was open because the kids were going in and out of the house, so he made his way through the back door, right through the house and came right out,” Williamson said.

He told Channel 11 it was Donnie Alexander and he was armed with a butcher knife.

"He didn't know where he was, he just kept repeating, ‘They're after me, they're going to kill me,’ those were his exact words."

Police arrested Alexander, then took him to UPMC Mercy where he was admitted on an involuntary commitment for a mental illness.

Just a few days later, neighbors say that they saw Alexander get off a bus right back on Allendale.

They couldn't believe he was out.

"We're filing criminal trespassing because we own the property," Williamson said.

He was committed on a mental illness hold then as well, but those holds only last 72 hours.

He will be back in court July 19.

Cox Media Group