A Lakeland man says two potential burglars broke into the wrong house Wednesday afternoon.
That’s because the man who lives in the house was inside at the time and fully prepared to use his skills he learned from watching MMA fighters.
Robert Turner is no UFC fighter but he’s got the moves down to a T. So when two would be burglars broke into his house Wednesday afternoon he didn’t think twice about putting those moves to good use.
“These two guys open my door and yell oh crap and start running out the door,” Turner said.
Turner says the men broke into his house after they rang the doorbell and no one answered. What they didn’t expect was for him to be inside.
Turner says he’s heard several complaints from neighbors over the past couple of months about break-ins with similar MO’s so when the burglars showed up at his house, he says he knew exactly what they were there for.
“I thought wow, someone’s breaking in my house. I got to get them,” Turner said.
And get them, he did. Chasing one of the suspects a half a mile to a nearby McDonalds, only stopping briefly to tell a neighbor to call 911.
“I go into McDonalds and I basically see one of them standing in there, so I walk up to him and I say, I think I said, ‘did you have fun breaking into my house?” he said.
And then the smack down.
“I threw him to the ground with like a judo throw and then I put him in this thing called a triangle. It’s like a submission move and basically just held him there for about two minutes until the cops got there,” said Turner.
Turner’s moves and quick thinking helped put one of the would-be burglars behind bars. And they may have potentially stopped other burglaries in the area. For that, he is proud.
“Hopefully that let everyone else know not to break in my house,” he said.
Since the suspect is a minor we aren’t naming him. Lakeland police are still investigating the burglary and searching for the second suspect in this case. If you have any information you’re asked to call the Lakeland Police Department.