A trained mixed martial arts fighter beat an intruder black-and-blue for entering his sister’s Florida home — as the suspect claimed he mistakenly walked into the residence after a night of drinking.
Henny Rojas was sleeping at his relative’s home in Wilton Manors — just north of Fort Lauderdale — on Saturday morning when his teenage nephew frantically woke him up to tell him that there was an intruder in the living room, CBS12 reported.
The trained fighter jumped into action to defend his loved one and the home.
“I’m prepared. It’s not my first time; I don’t feel pain. Nothing,” Rojas told the outlet. “I don’t have guns; I wasn’t looking for a knife — just God and my hands, that’s it.”
Rojas, who has been practicing MMA for roughly three years, confronted the intruder head-on, utilizing his trained fighting skills to engage the intruder, identified as Austin Carasani.
The fighter subdued Carasani until police arrived on the scene to arrest him.
Rojas’ sister, Patrizia, and his brother-in-law were away in Miami when they recalled receiving the terrifying phone call from their son, who told them that a stranger was in the home.
“He was screaming, ‘Mom, call police, someone has broken into the house,’” Patrizia Rojas recalled.
Carasani, 31, appeared before a judge just hours after being taken down by Rojas, with visible welts covering his black and blue face.
Caresani told police that he had been drinking at a nearby club and was allegedly trying to reach a friend’s “Paul’s house” in the area when he mistakenly entered the home.
Rojas and his family said they’d never seen Caresani before and had no idea who he was when he broke into their house.
The alleged home intruder has been charged with home invasion and remains in custody at the Broward County Jail as of Tuesday, with a bond set at $20,000.
As for Rojas, he told CBS 12 that he was happy to be able to use his skills to protect his family and wouldn’t change how he handled the situation with the intruder.
“Protect your family,” Rojas said. “There are a lot of crazy people [who] don’t believe in God, who [are] only looking for damage.”
