Police found the attacker on the ground in the front yard of the residence when they arrived.
Authorities reported the call came in around 10 p.m. on Sept. 8. The suspect was later identified as 35-year-old Juan Saavedra, and court documents listed multiple prior arrests and convictions on his lengthy record. The exact infractions were redacted.
Saavedra was classified as a transient.
Officers pulled into the residence at 10:13 p.m. Court records revealed “they observed him to be suffering from apparent gunshot wounds to his abdomen and right arm.”
When the Phoenix police questioned the mother, she told them she was alerted to motion on her home security system. She then saw Saavedra on the camera walking in front of the residence.
At that point the frightened mother went outside and ordered the suspect to leave the property. She told him he was in danger of being shot if he did not go elsewhere, but he stayed.
Court documents revealed she then ran back inside and told one of her children to close and lock the doors. She then wisely called the police and retrieved a firearm to protect her family.
It was then that the police said she heard Saavedra pounding on the garage door. She herded her children away from the area and told them to hide, and then a glass windowpane shattered on the carport door.
She saw the suspect reach through the broken window for the doorknob in an attempt to get inside.
But the mother froze in her tracks, undoubtedly overcome with fear.
This was the moment when authorities said her 13-year-old son took over the situation. Seeing his mother was unable to respond, he took the weapon from her and fired several rounds toward the defendant.
Saavedra was taken to an area hospital for treatment of his multiple wounds before being released into custody. After being read his rights, the suspect began to talk. When asked why he attempted to force his way into the home, he said he had been smoking methamphetamine with a friend for about two days.
He apparently became separated from his acquaintance and tried to locate him at various homes in the neighborhood.
In the court papers, “The defendant stated upon approaching the victim’s residence he heard her inform him to leave the area. The defendant stated he then approached the carport door of the residence, and believed it to be his son, despite knowing the residence did not belong to him.”
Police asked Saavedra if he was aware that his actions would frighten the residents. He replied, “Yeah, I mean I was high obviously.”
The suspect is charged with felony second-degree burglary. At last word he is being held on a $50,000 cash-only bond.
Neighbors reacted in shock to gunshots ringing out into the night, and some said they hit the floor in fear. One reported their satisfaction that one of their neighbors defended themselves from a violent attack. “I’m happy they had something to defend themselves. I would have, we would have done the same thing, so I feel good for them.”
The brave teenager who came to his family’s rescue should be applauded for his courage. No one knows how they will react in a moment of extreme danger, and the mother was fortunate that her son took over and ended the threat.
The family is to be commended for having a firearm ready and available to defend themselves from the unknown. These are dangerous times, and the importance of being prepared is proven time and again.
