Man Posed as Amazon Driver Before Horrific Attack on Woman He Met Online

A California woman and her boyfriend were nearly killed in a terrifying doorstep ambush by a man she met through online gaming, authorities said.

The attacker, Devin Wolfgang Vanderhoef, 25, of North Vancouver, British Columbia, flew from Canada to California after developing what police described as a years-long obsession with the woman. When he arrived at her home in Salinas in November 2024, investigators said he came with a disturbing plan and a fake cover story.

Vanderhoef allegedly showed up at the woman’s door pretending to be an Amazon delivery driver. He was holding a package, but authorities later said the box contained duct tape, handcuffs and knives.

According to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, Vanderhoef knocked on the door and identified himself as an Amazon driver. When the woman’s boyfriend opened the door, Vanderhoef forced his way inside and began stabbing him.

The boyfriend suffered multiple critical injuries in the attack.

The woman then jumped into the fight to save him, grabbing a sharp metal object and using it to defend herself and her boyfriend. During the struggle, Vanderhoef strangled and stabbed her, leaving her with moderate injuries, authorities said.

Vanderhoef was also critically wounded during the violent confrontation.

All three were taken to a local hospital after authorities responded to the scene.

Investigators said Vanderhoef had not acted alone. His friend, 25-year-old Darius Whyte, had traveled with him to California and was found near the scene after the attack. At first, Whyte claimed he had no idea what was happening.

But investigators later determined he was an accomplice and knew what Vanderhoef intended to do, according to the sheriff’s office.

Whyte was arrested on the morning of Monday, Nov. 26, while sitting on a flight at San Jose Mineta International Airport, preparing to return to Canada.

Prosecutors said Vanderhoef later confessed that he had been planning the attack for a month before flying to California. According to a 2026 press release, he admitted that his plan was to “actually kill someone.”

Both men were eventually convicted in connection with the attack.

In February, a jury found Vanderhoef guilty of two counts of willful, deliberate and premeditated attempted murder, along with one count of residential burglary. Jurors also found that he personally used a weapon and personally caused great bodily injury during the crimes, according to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.

Whyte pleaded guilty to assault by means of force likely to cause great bodily injury and being an accessory after the fact to a felony. He was sentenced in April and testified against Vanderhoef during the trial.

Last Thursday, Vanderhoef was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences for the attack.

Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto said the case shows how dangerous online connections can become when obsession crosses into real life.

“We hope this case serves as a powerful reminder that online interactions can carry real world consequences,” Nieto said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.