San Diego

La Jolla Father Tackles Prowler Lurking on his Back Porch

A father from La Jolla said he is horrified after he found a man lurking on his back porch just steps away from his family.

Kevin Connelly and his 10-year-old daughter were watching television Sunday night when his wife came out of the bedroom and said she thought there was someone outside.

"She goes 'Well I think there’s somebody in our backyard,'" Connelly said.

Connelly said he went outside to do a check of his yard and almost immediately noticed something off.

"I’m right here and I hear either this move...some scratching, maybe breathing," Connelly recalled.

Instinctively, he said he reached out to grab whatever was making noise on his porch.

"I reached in like this and grabbed his arm. I don’t know how I grabbed him perfectly on the wrist. I took his wrist I yanked him as hard as I could," Connelly said.

He told NBC 7, he lost his grip and found himself fist fighting this six-foot tall man on his back stairs.

"He’s on the stairs, he’s way bigger than me now. I just look at him and tell him I’m going to shoot him and I have nothing to shoot him with."

In an effort to buy himself time to make a move, Connelly said he told the prowler his wife was standing behind him with a gun. Then he ran up the stairs and tries to throw the man through the fence.

That's when Connelly’s neighbor ran in to help. Together, they held the man down until police arrived at the scene.

"When I heard the sirens and I was like 'Oh my god, this is going to be over soon' and that was the biggest relief."

San Diego police officers arrested 28-year-old Timothy Nash.

Nash faces three charges including, aggravated trespass, prowling, and battery, according to the City Attorney’s Office.

Connelly said he is now looking into motion sensor lights for his house as well as better locks for his gates.

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