PUEBLO – We’re following up with a family in Pueblo who went through a terrifying ordeal when an intruder broke into their home. Now, they’re sharing how they believe they avoided a worse case scenario.
It’s a little after 4 a.m. on Thursday, when 34-year-old Randy Mata breaks into the Clarke household through the back-door.
Eventually, making a stop here at the children’s room, waking up their two small children, before facing the couple in their bed and asking for the keys to their truck.
“He demanded a couple more times and I told him I’d get them and that’s when I reached for my gun in the drawer and backed him out of the house,” Clarke said.
Alex Clarke works as a security guard and, at that moment, his experience kicked in.
“The training definitely helped, but I haven’t actually had to use it in a situation before,” Clarke added.
While he had the suspect pinned down to the ground outside, he told his wife to call 911.
The operator asked her if the suspect had a gun. Mata denied he did.
“And I told her that but i was like but my husband does have a gun on him right now,” Rachael said when describing her conversation with the operator.
The operator told Rachael to let Alex know, in order to avoid any confusion, when officers arrived, the weapon must be lowered.
A key instruction Alex made sure to follow.
“I could hear the officer and see his flashlight coming that way, I let him know where I was so he didn’t draw on me by mistake,” Clarke explained.
Though Alex was able to handle the situation this time and protect his family, in the future Rachael wants to be empowered to do the same.
“At this point, we’re looking at like me getting some of the same training he’s had,” Rachael said.
Mata was booked into the Pueblo county detention center and he faces several charges including first-degree burglary.
