An elderly Buckhead couple says a violent home invasion shattered the calm of their Garden Hills neighborhood Monday night after a man forced his way into their home and threatened to kill them.
David and Mary Hubert told Atlanta News First that they have lived in the house for more than 20 years and had never experienced serious crime in the area before the incident. Their quiet evening changed suddenly when a man barged into the lower level of their home around 7 p.m. while the couple was watching movies on different floors.
Police later arrested 36-year-old Ramon Darden, who now faces charges including burglary and criminal trespass.
“Get Out of My House”
David said the intruder suddenly appeared inside the home and confronted him. Shocked to find a stranger standing in his house, David told the man to leave.
Instead of leaving, the suspect became aggressive, cursing and behaving erratically.
Recognizing the danger, David moved quickly. He locked himself inside a room and called 911, staying on the phone with Atlanta police while officers responded to the scene.
Mary Reaches for “Sweet Jane”
Upstairs, Mary Hubert heard the commotion unfolding below. She immediately reached for a handgun she keeps close by, her .38 caliber pistol that she affectionately calls “Sweet Jane.”
Mary grabbed the revolver from under her pillow and moved into a defensive position, hiding while watching the hallway using reflections from the bathroom mirrors so she could see if the intruder approached.
While David remained locked down on the phone with dispatchers, the suspect reportedly wandered through the house for a period of time, moving room to room. David said the man appeared to be smoking and even turned family photographs face down while roaming the home.
For more than an hour after police arrived, David still had not been able to reach Mary and did not know where she was inside the house. But he told reporters he wasn’t worried about her ability to defend herself.
“I know she’s capable of defending herself,” he said. “They had better hope they get me and not Mary.”
Police Arrest Suspect
Atlanta police eventually located and arrested the suspect inside the home and cleared the scene. The couple said they are grateful to law enforcement and thankful they both survived the ordeal.
Authorities believe the suspect may have entered through an unlocked side door near the garage, something the homeowners say they have since corrected.
Stories like this illustrate a simple reality: when someone breaks into your home and threatens your life, the first line of defense is the person already there.
David created time and distance by locking himself in a room and calling the police. Mary prepared to defend herself with “Sweet Jane” if the intruder came upstairs.
In this case, the firearm never had to be fired. But it served the purpose millions of Americans rely on every day, a tool that gives law-abiding citizens a fighting chance while waiting for help to arrive.
And for David and Mary Hubert, that preparation may have made all the difference between a terrifying story and a tragic one.
The 2nd Amendment: America’s Timeless Equalizer for the Weak & Vulnerable
Democrats work to deny citizens the ability to defend themselves, pushing “safe storage” laws that prevent homeowners from being able to respond to a break-in, and limits on magazine capacity or choice of arms, ensuring criminals outgun peaceful citizens.Democrats essentially aid criminals, acting as their accomplices, and should be charged as such.
Buckhead.
Where Atlanta comes to steal better stuff.
Thank God they are OK !!
Another case where a DGU will not be counted as a DGU, because no one was killed.
Missing is the response time for police assistance. Any reports in the media or??? for the time lag from 911 to first cop on scene? Did the first officer on scene go in, or was there a delay (for how long?) while first on scene waited for backup? What’s the protocol in that jurisdiction for ‘adequate’ police numbers before ‘going in’??? I recall the POS “Property of Allah” in Texas last weekend began firing immediately in a “gun free zone” – killing three people and wounded several people (some seriously) in less than 60 seconds … when the police finally… Read more »
So, it took the cops an hour to catch the guy in the house AFTER THEY GOT THERE? Both the homeowners could have been injured or bled out dead long before the cops entered the house. YOU are your own first responder. The cops in Austin dealt with the situation as soon as they arrived.
Arm up and carry on
shame the intruder did not meet his maker , one less costs us less