Young Boy Home Alone Reportedly Fights Off Home Invader Using Machete
You probably remember the film “Home Alone,” in which a young boy invents creative solutions to chase robbers from his house. That story came to life in a North Carolina home on June 14 when an 11-year-old boy used his wits to defeat an intruder.
Braydon Smith was the only one home when a stranger entered his house and ordered him to get into the closet.
“He pointed a pellet gun at me that was located in our house. I knew that it wasn’t loaded so I just sat down and got in my closet like he told me to,” Smith told WTDV.
As the robber ransacked the house, Smith began to worry that the thief would come back to hurt or kidnap him. The thought drove the young boy to jump into action.
North Carolina boy whacks alleged robber with machete; injured suspect arrested after manhunt. https://t.co/Qy0cO9EQi1 pic.twitter.com/Y2siy4MZoC
— Good Morning America (@GMA) June 17, 2019
Smith grabbed his machete, which he’d purchased on his own with gift cards. He usually used the tool for yard work, but realized that it would make for an effective defense weapon. The boy tracked the robber into the living room and waited for his moment.
“He found my phone on the counter and he took the phone, but he dropped it,” Smith told WFMY, “and that’s when I picked up my machete and hit him on the back of the head.”
The Little League star landed the perfect strike. The robber responded with a kick to Smith’s stomach, but the brave boy proved he wouldn’t go down without a fight.
Smith swung the machete once again. Although he missed, the robber was already seriously injured. Realizing that he was bleeding, the intruder gave up the attack and escaped into the car waiting for him outside.
Smith said he did exactly what his father taught him to do in the case of an invasion.
“My dad, he’s taught me a lot of stuff, like to stay calm,” the 11-year-old said.
His father, Christopher Smith, said God was protecting his son during the terrifying event.
“I thank God. He played a big part in it,” he said. “You know, the Lord was looking out for him today.”
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department alerted nearby UNC Hospital to be on the lookout for the robber. A short time later, a wounded 19-year-old man named Jataveon Dashawn Hall who matched Smith’s description checked into the hospital.
Although Hall managed to escape the hospital, he was found hiding at his mother’s apartment in Burlington, North Carolina, on June 16. Breaking and entering, second-degree kidnapping and assault on a child younger than 12 are a few of his charges.
According to WLOS, Sheriff Charles Blackwood credits Braydon Smith’s courageous actions for Hall’s capture and conviction.
“Not only did this youngster thwart the larceny attempt, he created blood evidence that very well may lead to a conviction in this case,” Blackwood said in a statement. “This is very tough kid who kept his wits about him. At the same time, I want to reflect that this youngster, his family and indeed this community, are very lucky this event did not have a tragic ending for the child.”
Smith had just one powerful message reserved for the robber.
“You shouldn’t have done what you’ve done,” he said. “You’re better off to get a job than breaking into other people’s houses.”
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