The unidentified Neptune Beach citizen found himself face-to-face with an alleged burglar, but fortunately for him, he was armed and ready. His wife was also home.
The suspect was identified by police as 36-year-old Antonio Dante Grant. He reportedly was just released from prison after serving time for a 2018 attempted forcible sexual battery conviction in Jacksonville Beach.
This time he allegedly attempted to force his way into the residence through the back door. A return trip to prison is highly likely after the armed civilian held the suspect at gunpoint until authorities arrived.
Grant faces a charge of second-degree forcible felony for burglary.
In the aftermath of the homeowner’s actions, the Neptune Police Department thanked him for his actions in apprehending the suspect. It is not so readily apparent, however, that they truly appreciated his response in confronting the threat.
In a Facebook statement, officials allowed that the homeowner was courageous in stopping the attempted burglary. However, they additionally advised that people take security measures such as having cameras installed.
They also added to “always call us if you ever believe there is a problem.”
Of course, calling the police is important. However, there are too many instances to count where calling the police is not a ready option. In those situations, all the homeowners would be doing was letting them know where the incident was that they needed to investigate.
Or much, much worse.
Better advice would be to invest in home security and a legal firearm. That along with proper training and situational awareness would go much further in ensuring that law-abiding citizens do not fall victim to violent criminals.
