A Painesville man is being commended for his efforts to save a woman and her two young children from being assaulted by an unknown intruder.
According to the Lake County Sheriff's Office, the male suspect had been screaming at and banging on homes on Sycamore Dr. before he forced his way into a woman's home just after midnight Thursday. The woman called 911 and told police the man chased her into her bedroom and laid down on the floor claiming someone was trying to kill him.
You can listen to the 911 audio in the player below:
The woman said she then fled the house with her two 5- and 7-year-old children and ran across the street yelling for help. She was heard by neighbor Thomas Jones, who brought the trio into his home for shelter. The suspect then ran to Jones' front porch, where authorities say Jones engaged in a "physical confrontation" to keep him away from the family until police arrived.
The suspect, 30-year-old Bobby Collier of Painesville, had a warrant out for a parole violation, and officials say he was under the influence of an "unknown drug." He and Jones both sustained minor injuries in the physical struggle.
Lake County Sheriff Daniel A. Dunlap later reached out to Jones to thank him for taking action, to which Jones apparently responded he "only did what anyone would do." Sheriff Dunlap told him the suspect "picked the wrong guy" to confront.