The thing about breaking into homes in red states is that, unlike in states that are far more restrictive on gun ownership and the use of firearms for self-defense, you’re liable to get shot by a man, woman, or child who knows his or her way around a firearm and isn’t afraid to use it. Such was the case in Phoenix, Arizona when an alleged intruder was shot by a teenager who defended his home with a firearm during a break-in attempt.
That incident occurred at around 10 pm on September 8th, when a man named Juan Saavedra, 35, allegedly tried to force his way into a Phoenix-area home. He broke a window, tried to make it through the door, and was confronted by the brave teenager, who managed to stop him.
The teen used a firearm to do so, thus enabling him to defend his home and mother despite being far younger than Saavedra and so unlikely to have been able to hold his own in a physical fight. The teen’s injuries were minor, and Saavedra’s, though he was shot, were non-life-threatening.
Police officers were alerted that an incident had occurred around 10 p.m. and made it to the home by about 10:13 p.m. Once at the residence, the officers found Saavedra wounded. “As officers approached this male, they observed him to be suffering from apparent gun shot wounds to his abdomen and right arm,” the court documents state.
The court documents go on to describe how the woman related the incident: “The victim stated she exited her residence and gave the defendant several commands to leave the area or he was at risk of being shot, in an attempt to scare him away from the residences front yard area.”
“The victim stated she then ran back inside of her residence, instructing one of her children to close and lock the door behind her. The victim stated as she entered her residence, she began calling police and went to retrieve a firearm in order to protect herself, her husband and five children located inside,” the documents continued.
But instead of leaving, Saavedra tried to enter the home forcibly. “The victim stated as she stood with the firearm, she observed the defendants hand came through the now open and broken window, and reached for the doors doorknob in an attempt to open the door,” said the court document. read a portion of the statement.
That’s when the woman’s son used the firearm to protect his family from Saavedra: “The victim stated at this point her 13-year-old son, seeing that the defendant was attempting to make entry and his mother was not firing the firearm, in fear for the safety of himself and family, took the firearm from his mother and fired the firearm towards the defendant, striking him.”
Saavedra, when asked about his actions and if he thought they would scare the residents of the home, said, “Yeah, I mean I was high obviously.” Neighbors of the boy and his family were supportive of the use of force, with one saying, “I’m happy that they had something to defend themselves. I would have, we would have done the same thing, so I feel good for them.“
Featured image credit: Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office
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