NORTH PORT, Fla. — A would-be robber armed with a baseball bat was taken by surprise when a man inside the house in Florida put him in a bear hug and his wife grabbed the bat and beat him.
Local media outlets report that 33-year-old Noah Jess Dassat of Santa Cruz, California, ran away from the home on June 23. But authorities caught up with him after they say he used a fake name while being treated for his injuries at a hospital.
He now faces charges of armed robbery, battery and criminal mischief.
According to North Port police, the couple and their three children were inside the home when Dassat broke in.
Dassat remains in the Charlotte County Jail on Florida’s west coast. Jail records don’t list an attorney.
“There was police everywhere looking for him and it went on for hours,” a neighbor told WFLA-TV. “The guy’s got him held down, yup. That’s how we roll around here.”
Police spokesman Josh Taylor told WWSB that they don’t condone violence, adding that the couple was protecting their family. “You have the right to protect your home and yourself so do what you’ve got to do, I guess,” he said. “This is a home that had a mom, a dad, a grandmother and three small children, I can tell you what I'd do if somebody broke into my house.”
Epoch Times contributed to this report, adding quotes.
