A Louisiana mother was protecting her two young children when she shot and killed a man accused of breaking into her home this past weekend, police said. Authorities responded to reports of gunshots at a home on Klein Road in Hammond, Louisiana, shortly after 5 a.m. Sunday, according to a news release from the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office.
The suspect, identified as 51-year-old Robert Rheams, was armed with a shovel and a lug wrench when he allegedly forced his way into the home of the mother and her two young children, Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office Chief Jimmy Travis noted in the news release.
A physical altercation broke out between the suspect and victim inside the home.
"During the incident, a physical altercation took place between Rheams and the homeowner which ultimately led to Rheams being shot by the homeowner," the sheriff's office new release explained.
Rheams was pronounced dead at the scene by the Tangipahoa Parish Coroner's Office. Rheams was reportedly out on parole after serving 20 years in prison for armed robbery.
Authorities have also tied Rheams to other crimes in the area.
Detectives identified the 51-year-old as a suspect in a carjacking that occurred hours before the home invasion.
The car owner was an out-of-state worker staying at a local motel when Rheams asked him for a ride, according to Fox 8.
“During the drive, he started striking the driver with his fist and the driver ran into a ditch causing the car to become stuck,” Travis said, according to the news outlet. “The driver was able to exit the car and flee to safety.”
Travis noted the home invasion was 'random' and that the suspect and victim did not know each other.
He said the case appears to be a homeowner exercising Second Amendment rights to protect herself and her children from a violent home invasion.
Travis added that no arrests have been made. Once the investigation is complete, however, the case will be forwarded to the District Attorney's Office for further review.
