CITRUS HEIGHTS, Calif. — A Citrus Heights father sent the man who allegedly broke into his home and attacked his children to the hospital Thursday night.
"He attacked my 14-year-old son from the back. He jumped on him choking him out to the ground, and then he moved on to my 11-year-old," said Bobby Tucker.
Tucker says a stranger who was screaming and growling came into his home and attacked two of his children around 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
Tucker, who works as a security guard, says he was in the back of the house with his youngest son when he heard the commotion. He rushed out from his hallway and saw the man hitting his 11-year-old.
"My mind was completely clear. I wasn't thinking of anything, just getting that guy off my son. I admit I blanked out for a while, probably scared my kids too. Hitting the guy, hitting the guy and I could hear them saying someone call 911," said Tucker.
Citrus Heights police responded within five minutes and took the man into custody. They say he will be charged.
"He was out cold, unresponsive. Paramedics tried to get him to wake up or respond. He was just out," said Tucker.
Police aren't releasing the man's identity yet and can't say yet if he was on drugs or had mental health problems.
The father of four says his door was unlocked at the time because his children had just taken out the trash. He later posted photos of the man on social media.
One of the photos shows the man entering Tucker's home and the other shows him being taken out on a stretcher.
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"He chose the wrong house to mess with," said Tucker.
Tucker says he wants this to serve as a warning to other homeowners.
"Definitely get you something inside your home to protect yourself whether it's mace or a firearm, anything to make sure you have something to protect yourself. Always keep your doors locked, alarm system, definitely something with a camera on the outside," said Tucker.
The father of four says his focus now is getting his sons through the trauma of being attacked.
"Looking into trying to get them at least a little bit of therapy so they can talk about it and not be afraid or scared because your home is supposed to be your sanctuary. Right now they're feeling like nowhere is safe," said Tucker.
Police say Tucker did nothing wrong in responding the way he did. They say its a resident's right to protect themselves and their family.
The alleged intruder will face felony assault and burglary charges. It's unclear why he broke in to begin with.
