Man Gouges Eyes Of Thief Trying To Rob Him During Home Invasion

A Florida man got physical with a suspected robber who invaded his home last week and subdued him until police arrived.

Richard Golden of Jacksonville, Florida, found himself defending his property on Friday when a suspected thief broke his glass door and entered his home and demanded money. According to a police report by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, a witness called 911 just before 1 p.m. after he walked up to Golden's house and saw a man in a black mask holding a rifle.

"He hit me in the head with a rifle and a buddy of mine just happened to come up at just the right time and distract him," Golden told WJXT. "And when he distracted him, I made my move and I grabbed him, locked the gun in."

Golden said he got into a scuffle with the armed man, later identified as 34-year-old Timothy Hinson, but managed to use his military training to gain leverage. That’s when Golden made his move for the suspect’s face.

"I dropped the clip because I had military training then there was still one in the chamber," Golden said. "It went off. I knew I wasn't dead. And then military training took over and I gouged him in his eyes until I felt his brain."

After Golden subdued the armed man he wanted to make sure the suspect couldn’t get away, so he pinned him down until authorities arrived.

"I sat on him and gouged him in his eyes until the cops got here. I was beating him with his own gun until the police got here," Golden said.

Golden sustained minor cuts and bruises on his arms from the altercation. One of his dogs also managed to escape during the fight. He told WJXT that he doesn’t know why Hindson broke into his home that night and claims to have never met him.

Hinden was arrested and charged with home invasion robbery with a firearm. He received treatment for his injuries and remains in jail on a $250,000 bond until his next court appearance on July 30.