A mother fatally shot an intruder who broke into her Louisiana home with her two young children inside earlier this week.
Robert Rheams, 51, broke into the Hammond home of a woman early Sunday, armed with a shovel and lug wrench, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office said.
After making entry, he got into a physical altercation with the woman, “which ultimately led to Rheams being shot by the homeowner,” the sheriff's office said.
Deputies responded to reports of a shot fired at the residence shortly after 5 a.m. and Rheams, also of Hammond, was pronounced dead on the scene.
Rheams was out on parole after serving 20 years in prison for armed robbery at the time of the home invasion, the sheriff’s office said. He was also tied to a carjacking hours prior to the home invasion, officials said.
So far, no arrests have been made in the investigation. The case will be forwarded to the district attorney’s office for review after the investigation is complete.
Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office Chief of Operations and Finance, Jimmy Travis, said it appeared that the homeowner was exercising her Second Amendment rights to protect herself and her children in a home invasion.
