Armed crook breaks through window, orders elderly homeowner to turn over valuables — but victim fights back with his own gun



Police in Jacksonville, Florida, said they responded to a home around 12:41 p.m. Tuesday after a report that a person was shot, First Coast News said.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said a man believed to be in his 70s living in the home on Arlex Drive, off Merrill Road, reportedly told police that a male armed with a gun broke through a window in the back of the home, the outlet reported.

'Just glad to have another one, another one of these guys off the streets.'

The victim said he was ordered into a back bedroom and forced to hand over his car keys and other valuables, the outlet added, citing the sheriff's office.

But the elderly victim fought back.

The sheriff's office said the homeowner was able to grab a gun and managed to shoot the suspect once in the shoulder, the outlet reported.

The wounded suspect reportedly fled the home and drove off in the victim's car, First Coast News said.

However, the sheriff's office said police found the suspect inside the vehicle about 30 minutes later and took him into custody on Fort Caroline Road, near Jacksonville University — just a few miles from the scene of the home invasion, the outlet noted.

Brandon Meredith, who was driving along University Boulevard, told First Coast News he witnessed the suspect's capture.

"Everyone had their tasers drawn," Meredith told the outlet. "They're moving up in a special kind of formation on the back of the car, heard a pop, they grabbed him and pulled him out, put him on the ground, and EMS was tending to him, and they had the intersection shut down for about two hours while this whole thing unfolded."

RELATED: Elderly Texas homeowner armed with hunting rifle spots burglar who broke through back door. It doesn't end well for intruder.

The suspect, who has not yet been publicly identified, was taken to a hospital for the gunshot wound, the sheriff's office told First Coast News, and was in police custody.

Meredith added to the outlet that he's happy with the way things ended up: "Just glad to have another one, another one of these guys off the streets."

First Coast News said those with information about the incident that could help in the investigation can contact the sheriff's office at 904-630-0500. The outlet added that anonymous tips are also welcome through Crime Stoppers.

Commenters on WJAX's Facebook post about the incident expressed a variety of opinions about the outcome. The following are but a few of them:

  • "'In custody' means the homeowner needs some range time," one commenter asserted.
  • "Dang, people still dare to break in other houses in open carry state," another user opined.
  • "He's a hero," another commenter declared.
  • "The only problem I see is the homeowner needs some shooting lessons," another user wrote, adding "shoot for center mass, and this potentially eliminates the issue."
  • "In blue states and cities, this poor homeowner would have to face trial and have his life financially ruined (at best), or spend the rest of his life in prison," another commenter observed.

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Video: Masked smash-and-grab robbers don't look so scary when jewelry store owner pulls his gun and opens fire



Masked robbers clad in dark clothing quickly took over a California jewelry store last week, as surveillance video shows them fanning out and smashing display cases in a brazen heist.

This is, until the owner of the store came into the camera frame with his gun and opened fire.

'It's shocking to the conscience. It's scary to the family because it is a mom-and-pop store with family being your own employees, it's your own business and your livelihood.'

The imposing crew suddenly looked quite overmatched as they stumbled and sprinted out the store.

The incident at Olivia's Fine Jewelry in Madera took place around 7 p.m. Thursday, KFSN-TV reported. Madera is about a half hour northwest of Fresno.

Four of the crooks took part in the smash-and-grab while one stayed by the door as a lookout, KFSN said. Video shows the lookout holding the door open for the rest of the crew as they ran out of the store to get clear of the gunfire.

After the robbers ran into the parking lot, video shows the owner on the sidewalk in front of the store still shooting at the fleeing crooks.

RELATED: Video: Over 20 thugs try breaking into jewelry store. But gun-toting store owner isn't about to let them get away with it.

"It's shocking to the conscience. It's scary to the family because it is a mom-and-pop store with family being your own employees, it's your own business and your livelihood," Madera Police Sgt. Blake Short told KFSN.

The robbers took with them an estimated $170,000 in jewelry, the station said, and authorities added that no one was hit by gunfire.

"I believe the store owner did what he felt was necessary at the time. We don't always recommend that in this field. Fortunately, no one was harmed in this situation," Short added to KFSN.

The station said authorities were able to recover the getaway car, described as a dark gray Audi, and that the suspects ditched it just outside of the Madera city limits.

Police also called the robbery sophisticated, KFSN said, adding that the suspects had a clear plan.

Short noted to the station that a "preliminary investigation shows that they were kind of in the area for a little while ... we would say in our field 'casing the business.' This was definitely meticulous. It was thought out. It did not appear to be a first time for these individuals."

Veronica Casillas, an employee of a nearby store, told KFSN that "it was very scary. We heard just a loud noise, and I told the manager 'I think those gunshots.'"

The investigation is ongoing, the station said, and no additional descriptions of the suspects have been released.

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VIDEO: Sisters' theft of lobsters, ribeyes, and truffle butter explodes into checkout chaos and racial-slur rampage, cops say



Two sisters attempted to steal luxury food items from a grocery store in Massachusetts last weekend — but the pair exploded when store employees confronted them about the stolen goods, according to police.

The West Bridgewater Police Department said in a statement that officers were deployed to the Market Basket grocery store around 5 p.m. Saturday over reports of two customers "fighting with store employees."

'They screamed and directed racial and demeaning words at [a store employee]. Those words included "p***y and [the N-word]," which were loud enough for everyone in the front of the store to hear, causing an offensive condition without a legitimate purpose.'

"The investigation revealed that an employee had observed two women concealing high-priced items, including lobster meat, prime ribeye steaks, and truffle butter, in a bag while shopping," the statement reads. "The women did not pay for those items at checkout and were confronted by an employee."

Police identified the shoplifting suspects as 37-year-old Olivia L. Byrd of Quincy and 28-year-old Rahjane J. Byrd of Hyde Park.

Police said the pair were "argumentative, screamed obscenities, and assaulted two store employees."

Alexander Oseas — a Market Basket employee — told investigators he grew suspicious of the sisters because most of the items in their cart were not bagged except for goods in a blue bag, the Boston Globe reported.

"He tried to take the blue bag from them, and Rahjane tried to get it back, causing her to fall to the floor," the paper noted, citing a police report.

In addition, Oseas and co-worker Wesley Kimbrel "pleaded with" the sisters to leave the store, but they allegedly "continued both their verbal and physical attacks" against the employees, the Globe reported..

"Rahjane struck Oseas with the blue bag filled with groceries," the paper added, citing the report, and "Olivia then struck Kimbrel with her purse several times and slapped him across the face."

The Globe, citing the report, also said Rahjane Byrd "struck Oseas several more times with the bag filled with groceries," and he suffered a small cut on his face.

The violent incident was caught on video, and it shows one of the sisters smashing a worker in the face with her cell phone.

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Oseas said the sisters "became argumentative and belligerent and began to direct racial slurs and other demeaning terms at him," the paper noted.

"Both Rahjane's and Olivia's actions annoyed and inconvenienced the shopping public with their fighting and tumultuous behavior," the West Bridgewater police report read, according to Boston.com. "They screamed and directed racial and demeaning words at [a store employee]. Those words included 'p***y and [the N-word],' which were loud enough for everyone in the front of the store to hear, causing an offensive condition without a legitimate purpose."

The police report also said that "both females continued to scream obscenities and directed threats at both Oseas and Kimbrel as they made their way out of the store," according to the Globe.

The sisters exited the grocery store, but police confronted the pair in the parking lot.

The siblings informed officers that they were working for Instacart and that they were shopping for a customer, Boston.com noted.

Olivia said she confronted an employee who she felt suspected her of shoplifting, the Globe said, citing the police report. Boston.com indicated Olivia alleged a store employee watched them closely as they paid for the groceries and tried to take their shopping cart when they were confronted.

When the sisters were questioned about the expensive items in the blue bag, Olivia said the "bag was hers and that the items in it were an Instacart order canceled by one of her customers," the report stated, according to Boston.com.

The Globe said Olivia claimed the proof of the Instacart cancellation had disappeared from her phone.

Police noted in the report that the sisters' account of what happened in the grocery store was plagued by "inconsistencies," and the pair "were evasive, providing only the bare minimum to prove that the high-priced items in their shopping cart had been paid for," according to the paper.

Olivia said her sister fell as she was pushed by an employee trying to take their shopping cart away, the report said.

"Olivia reacted and admitted to pushing and hitting the employee on the face with her phone,” the report stated, according to the Globe. "Olivia told me she should not have struck the employee but felt she needed to defend her sister."

Police said the sisters were arrested and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery, shoplifting by asportation, and disorderly conduct.

A judge ordered the sisters not to enter Market Basket and to have no contact with employees of the grocery store.

The suspects were arraigned Monday in Brockton District Court.

The sisters pleaded not guilty to the charges and were released on personal recognizance.

The Byrd sisters are scheduled to return to court on Dec. 17, according to records.

The West Bridgewater Police Department and Market Basket did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for comment.

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13 thugs chase, stab, beat, rob teen boy on his way home from school in NYC. They make off with his sneakers — worth $350.



A 15-year-old New York City boy spoke out from his hospital bed this week after police said a group of 13 suspects — also teenagers — attacked and stabbed and robbed him on Oct. 22.

Police said the boy was on his way home from school in Jamaica, Queens, when the broad-daylight attack occurred at the intersection of 160th Street and Hillside Avenue, WCBS-TV reported.

'What happened to my son is horrific.'

With his mother by his side, the victim recounted to the station the words of one of his attackers.

"Give me all your clothes, whatever you're wearing, your shoes," the boy recalled one of the mob members telling him, WCBS noted.

He then told the station, "I [started] running. After that, they pushed me and stabbed me."

The vicious attack left the 15-year-old with severe stab wounds, broken bones, bruises — and needing surgery, the station said.

After all that, WCBS said the suspects stole the victim's sneakers — worth $350.

"I was shocked to see my son in this condition," the boy's mother told the station in her native language of Punjabi. "What happened to my son is horrific."

RELATED: Video: 5 thugs repeatedly stomp, punch boy, 15, on busy NYC street — and steal his sneakers. Crime expert says there's 'basically nothing you can do to these kids.'

Local activist Japneet Singh told WCBS the attack took place on "a major avenue, major corridor" and that "if that can happen to this boy, it can happen to any of our children. We have to make sure we protect our kids."

While the boy has months of recovery ahead of him — including three surgeries — his mother told the station she hopes those responsible are caught. Meanwhile, she added to WCBS that she's not leaving his side: "Ever since he was attacked, I've been here with him day and night."

Police told WNYW-TV that detectives are reviewing surveillance video from the area to identify those involved.

Those with information about the attack are urged to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 800-577-TIPS (8477), WNYW said, adding that tips can be submitted confidentially online or by text.

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Judge Who Freed Charlotte Stabbing Suspect Has Exactly The Credentials You’d Expect

The Charlotte, North Carolina train stabbing that left 23-year old Ukrainian national Iryna Zarutska dead is now raising questions not just about the suspect, but about the judge who let him back on the streets months earlier. Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes released Decarlos Brown Jr. in January on his “written promise” that he would re-appear […]

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Video: Mob of hammer-wielding, hooded thugs pull off brazen smash-and-grab robbery in broad daylight



Surveillance video caught the moment when a mob of hammer-wielding, hooded thugs pulled off a smash-and-grab jewelry store robbery in broad daylight.

A vehicle is seen backing into the San Jose store's entrance, which created an opening for at least a dozen crooks to pour in late last week.

'This is appalling. Watching this senior get assaulted made my blood boil.'

San Jose police confirmed it's investigating an "armed robbery" that occurred at the Kim Hung Jewelry store on the 1900 block of Aborn Road just after 2 p.m. Friday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

No arrests have been made, and the robbers are "unidentified and remain at large," the department confirmed Sunday morning to the Chronicle.

Video appears to show 16 individuals entering the store holding hammers and breaking display cases and grabbing merchandise as a few store employees look on. Police told the paper that at least one of the suspects carried a gun but didn't comment on the value of the items stolen.

The robbers fled the scene in multiple vehicles, police said in their statement, according to the paper.

Video shows one of the robbers violently shoving one of the employees to the floor, and an X poster noted that his friend's 88-year-old uncle was the victim in question.

"He was injured by broken glass and then had a stroke," the poster wrote before adding a message to San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, saying the Democrat has "done a lot for SJ but still more criminals to be locked up."

The Chronicle said it couldn't independently verify the information in the X post.

Mahan posted on X the following response: "This is appalling. Watching this senior get assaulted made my blood boil. I’m sorry this happened to your friend’s uncle, @Chris_Moore4Sup. These people need to face the harshest possible consequences for their actions. I’ve been in touch with our Police Chief @SJPD_AC_Joseph and will be following the investigation closely. Wishing our @SanJosePD officers godspeed as they pursue leads."

The paper said police didn't respond to an inquiry regarding if anyone was injured during the incident and added that the department did not have "any details to provide at this time."

Police also told the Chronicle that anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact the agency’s robbery unit at sjpdrobbery@sanjoseca.gov.

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Trump to patrol DC streets alongside law enforcement amid crime crackdown



President Donald Trump is taking matters into his own hands amid efforts to clean up the streets of the nation's capital.

Trump said he will be patrolling Washington, D.C., Thursday night alongside law enforcement to get a firsthand look at the state of crime in the city. Trump's patrol comes as he federalized the Metropolitan Police Department and deployed the National Guard earlier in the month to rein in violent crime in D.C.

'Within days of Trump's policies going into effect, crime rates plummeted across the city.'

“I’m going to be going out tonight, I think, with the police and with the military, of course," Trump told Todd Starnes Thursday. "So we’re going to do a job. The National Guard is great. They’ve done a fantastic job.”

RELATED: Vance unloads on safety-hating protesters in DC, punches through liberal media rhetoric

— (@)

In 2024, D.C. experienced the fourth-highest homicide rate in the country, at 27.3 per 100,000 residents, which is nearly six times higher than New York City. The most recent figures are also a sharp increase from just over a decade ago, when the homicide rate was 13.9 per 100,000 residents in 2012.

The increase in homicides is part of a greater trend showing a rise in violent crime in D.C. Just last year, there were 29,348 crimes reported in D.C., including 3,469 violent offenses, 1,026 assaults with a dangerous weapon, 2,113 robberies, and 5,139 motor vehicle thefts.

But within days of Trump's policies going into effect, crime rates plummeted across the city.

RELATED: President Trump's DC crime crackdown is getting results

— (@)

Recent reports show that D.C. has officially gone a whole week without a single homicide. Carjackings have also decreased by 83%, robberies have gone down 46%, car thefts have gone down 21%, and violent crime decreased by 22%.

As of Thursday, White House officials said there had been more than 630 arrests made since Trump took action on August 7. Of those arrests, 251 were illegal immigrants and three were known gang members.

"Until 4 days ago, Washington, D.C., was the most unsafe 'city' in the United States, and perhaps the World," Trump said in a Truth Social post Monday. "Now, in just a short period of time, it is perhaps the safest, and getting better every single hour! People are flocking to D.C. again, and soon, the beautification will begin!"

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D.C.’s Murder Rate Is More Than 500% Higher Than The Average State

D.C.’s murder rate ran 169 percent higher than Louisiana’s, the deadliest state, and an astonishing 523 percent higher than that of the average state.

Thugs rob teen of his iPhone, Nike sneakers; but boy's family finds 1 suspect — and delivers painful payback: Cops



A 14-year-old boy was walking near a bus stop in Chicago one afternoon last month when four males approached him, CWB Chicago reported, citing authorities.

One of the males asked for his sweater, authorities said, according to the outlet. But when the boy ignored them and kept walking, the same male allegedly picked him up — after which the boy punched the male in defense, CWB Chicago reported, citing authorities.

The outlet said that about five minutes after the robbery, the boy and his mother went to the house where two of the suspects had been seen entering.

With that, a second male allegedly rifled through the boy’s pockets and stole his iPhone, Nike gym shoes, and hoodie, the outlet said, adding that the Chicago Police Department report said the items are worth between $1,200 and $1,450.

RELATED: Thug carjacks a grandmother as her 6-year-old grandson looks on. But crook soon gets his comeuppance.

Photo by Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images

Authorities said the teen ran barefoot to his grandmother’s home nearby, and police were notified shortly afterward, the outlet said, citing the arrest report.

More from CWB Chicago:

Part of the attack was caught on video, prosecutors said in a detention proffer. Surveillance footage reportedly showed the boy fleeing the scene without his shoes and entering his grandmother’s house. It also captured two of the suspected offenders running into a building in the 3600 block of West Grenshaw Street, while the other two fled down an alley.

The victim told his mother he recognized one of the robbers by a tattoo above his left eyebrow and said he remembered seeing the man at a facility where his mother works. She identified that person as Dnario Brown, according to police.

The outlet said that about five minutes after the robbery, the boy and his mother went to the house where two of the suspects had been seen entering.

CWB Chicago reported that the teen got back his iPhone and hoodie at this location. The outlet, citing the detention proffer, added that Brown was “beaten up by members of [the boy’s] family" at this location as well.

Police from the city of Burbank — which is located near the southwest side of Chicago — responded to the scene and detained Brown until Chicago police arrived, the outlet noted, citing the arrest report.

RELATED: 'I'll blow your head off': Carjacking victim threatened crook after turning the tables on him. Now carjacker learns his fate.

Lloyd Fox/The Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Brown, 18, was charged with robbery in connection with the June 16 incident, CWB Chicago reported.

Judge Ankur Srivastava during a bond hearing ordered Brown held in custody pending trial, the outlet said. Brown had been arrested four prior times in connection with violent crimes and already was facing charges in an unrelated pending case at the time of the robbery, CWB Chicago reported, citing the judge’s detention order.

According to Cook County Jail information, Brown's next hearing is scheduled for Thursday, and no bond amount is listed.

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