A gun owner in Texas successfully stopped a machete-wielding intruder from entering their home.

The intruder was met with a gun by the Texas homeowner who was armed with a machete.

A gun owner in Texas successfully stopped a machete-wielding intruder from entering their home.
A gun owner in Texas successfully stopped a machete-wielding intruder from entering their home.

In Texas, a homeowner with concerns stopped a man with a machete from entering his home.

A machete-wielding intruder was caught on camera by Darryl Stevens' home surveillance system as they approached the Liberty Hill family's home north of Austin.

Stevens told FOX 7 that he freaked out at that moment because he had two young children at home and went into complete fight or flight mode.

Darryl Stevens
Darryl Stevens defended his family when a man with a machete attempted to enter his home. (FOX 7)

Stevens instinctively secured his house and grabbed his 9mm handgun.

Stevens said, "I grabbed my 9mm, unlocked it, ran down as fast as possible, and locked every door as fast as possible."

Jerry Escamilla, a 43-year-old suspect, successfully scaled a fence and reached the upper level of the family's house.

He was greeted by Stevens' handgun when he arrived.

"He had to leave or risk losing his life, so I told him," he said. "Fortunately, he dropped the machete after I did."

Home surveillance footage
A Liberty Hill, Texas, homeowner captured on video a man's attempt to break into his home with a machete. (FOX 7 via Darryl Stevens)

The intruder was seen pointing a gun at Escamilla as he climbed back down in the video.

Escamilla, a 43-year-old man, was arrested by local police after his wife called 911. He was charged with criminal trespassing and failure to identify and is currently being held on a $10,000 bond.

Stevens revealed to the local outlet that they had relocated to a distance from Austin for "safety reasons."

""I had to protect my family, but fortunately, I didn't need to use my gun. It's not something you anticipate happening in Liberty Hill, a rural area in the country, especially in a new, upscale neighborhood where we moved for safety," Stevens stated."

Jerry Escamilla
Jerry Escamilla was charged with criminal trespassing and failure to identify and is being held on a $10,000 bond. (FOX 7)

Stevens stated that he intends to enhance the security at their residence, referring to it as "Fort Knox."

"Our sense of safety in our home has been taken away, leaving us feeling violated as a family. This has caused us to take drastic measures to increase security. We are installing more fences, security features, and floodlights to make our home a fortress."

The Stand Your Ground law in Texas allows gun owners to use lethal force to defend themselves against threats, even if they could have retreated first. However, the law states that the shooter cannot have initiated the confrontation.

by Sarah Rumpf-Whitten

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