When a Missouri man found a stranger lying in his sonâs bed, he knew he had to protect his family. The unidentified father claims Jack William McWhinnie broke into his Wildwood home not far from St. Louis and went into his 11-year-old sonâs bedroom. When the father tried to get McWhinnie to leave, he allegedly refused, and the father grabbed a gun. Thankfully, everyone is safe, but the incident scared the family.
According to court documents, police arrested McWhinnie at the familyâs home and took him into custody. The family hopes they never see him again.
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McWhinnie allegedly entered the home uninvited.
The father of two told Fox 2 he was in his room preparing for his sonâs band concert when his 11-year-old told him a stranger was in the home. He rushed to his sonâs bedroom and reportedly found McWhinnie lying in the bed under the covers. The father tried to coerce him out of the room, but the man didnât move.
The father worried McWhinnie might harm the family.
He told Fox 2 that the instinct to protect his family kicked in. âWhen he didnât move when I yelled at him, I instantly thought, âWell, maybe this guy could have a weapon,ââ he said. âThe last thing I wanted was for things to get worse. I had to protect myself and my son, so I went and got a weapon.â
The father held McWhinnie at gunpoint while he called 911 and waited for police to arrive.
McWhinnie reportedly appeared disoriented.
According to the father, McWhinnie didnât seem to understand where he was or what he was doing. âHe was confused; he wasnât quite sure what was going on at first,â the father recalled, per Fox 2. âThen he realized he was in the wrong home and apparently with the wrong homeowner and dad. Itâs a different type of fear when you have your children behind you, and this is in front of you.â
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Wildwood police arrested McWhinnie.
They took him into custody, and he now faces charges of trespassing and resisting arrest. A judge set his bond at $75,000. He has a bond reduction hearing set for December 16.
Fox 2 reported this was the third interaction the family had with McWhinnie. âI hate the feeling of pulling a gun on someone or doing that,â the father said. âBut at the same time, the opposite result of that couldâve been pretty catastrophic.â
The family is glad everyone is safe. âI was able to hold my son and console him; he was pretty shaken up,â the father told the news outlet. âThis man definitely wasnât going to hurt my children, or he was going to have to go through me to do that.â